Thunder BayPikangikum First Nation is investing $30 million in a new grocery store, motel, and diner. The project is designed to strengthen food security, create jobs and keep economic revenues within the community.Pikangikum First Nation breaks ground on major community hubRajpreet Sahota · CBC News · Posted: Sep 28, 2025 12:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 28Led by Pikangikum First Nation with Bison Modular, ESB Construction and Cobra Enterprises, the project is set to open in 2026. (Courtesy: Pikangikum First Nation)Pikangikum First Nation has launched a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project aimed at improving food access, creating jobs and keeping more economic benefits within the community.The initiative, developed in partnership with Bison Modular, ESB Construction and Cobra Enterprises, includes a 19,500-square-foot modular grocery store with a pharmacy, hardware section, laundromat and prep kitchen. It also features a motel and 50-seat diner complex, multiple four-plex and tri-plex units and a commercial kitchen. Supporting infrastructure, such as water cisterns, hydro coordination and site development, is being carried out in collaboration with local operators.Shane Prevost, vice-president and board member of Bison Modular, said the idea came directly from community leadership.”So the band came to us with one of their consultants, ESB Construction. They wanted to create a grocery store for themselves,” said Prevost. “The nation actually owns itself and operates itself. They came to us looking for help on how to build it and how to put it all together.”What started as a plan for a grocery store soon grew into a broader hub, with multiple businesses designed to strengthen the community’s economic sovereignty.Controlling their own food sovereigntyFor Pikangikum, one of the driving factors was food sovereignty and keeping more money circulating within the community.The project includes a 19,500 sq. ft. modular grocery store with pharmacy, hardware store, laundromat and prep kitchen. There is also a motel and diner complex with 36 rooms, 50-seat restaurant and a second laundromat. (Courtesy: Bava Dhillon)John Birch, founder of ESB Construction, said discussions with leadership began several years ago.”The reason they wanted to develop their own store is that they felt they could provide better pricing and a better shopping experience for their members, control their own food sovereignty and keep revenues in the community. That very rapidly expanded,” said Birch.Birch said the goal was to stop money from flowing out of the community to outside businesses.”It was felt that the community wanted to take control of the revenues that were being generated in their community,” he said. “The groceries for years were purchased through one company that was from off the reserve, and all those revenues and profits would leave the community with no economic benefit. So they wanted to flip the switch.”Jobs and affordabilityThe project is also expected to create jobs and lower food costs.”The project will help the local community members and also the job creation inside the community,” said Sivakumar Sekar, a community member and future store manager. “So we can expect around 30 to 40, 50 jobs with this project that will give you additional employment for the community members.”Lyndon Olfert, financial account manager for the project, said affordability is a key priority.”It would make the food more affordable as well, because the intent is to bring the cost down for the community members,” Olfert said. “The primary goal is not to generate as big a profit as possible; it is to provide a service to the community.”Expanding in the NorthPrevost said modular construction was key to overcoming the challenges of building in a remote, fly-in community.”All the projects were built modular,” he explained. “The building itself is about 95 per cent done off-site. And then on site, we’re also up in Pikangikum doing all the earthworks.” He says the cuts construction times by at least 30 to 50 per cent. It also allows for future expansion after it opens in 2026.”Once they got everything up and running and their motel is full all the time, it’s really easy for us to then go in and add in another 20 rooms or 30 rooms or whatever they need,” Prevost said. “There is already an idea to expand this and add a gas station.”ABOUT THE AUTHORRajpreet Sahota is a bilingual journalist who reports for CBC News stations across Ontario. Tips and story ideas can be sent to rajpreet.sahota@cbc.ca
What Pikangikum’s community hub means for food access, local jobs
