STANDOFF, Alta. — Blood Tribe elders hosted a sod turning ceremony, and officially broke ground on the Kainai Market project Wednesday.
The market will save locals from driving 45 minutes into Lethbridge, which is how far residents must currently travel to get their groceries.
Elders prayed over and blessed the ground at the Blood Tribe Economic Development Building on the reserve before digging into it.
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During the prayer an eagle flew overhead, which elders consider a very good sign.
“I said the prayer and when I was saying it, everybody looked up and there was an eagle flying, so somebody up there is answering my prayer,” said one of the elders.
The building will cover 12,000 square feet and receive supplies from The Grocery People, which also supplies local Co-op grocery stores. It will also create jobs for Standoff residents, who said it will only be good for the local economy.
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“We’ve got a market here that we can access, so that was the main priority,” said Rob Crow, director of economic development for the Blood Tribe. “Really it’s just trying to establish the economy in our main community.”
The project was announced in March 2015, and construction is set to finish in November 2016.
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