-BY JENNIFER ARGUE, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
November 17, 2022
Pearce said that once the two new employees are ready to start after giving their notice periods, they will need to be trained on how to use the forklift and on how to do the books. Pearce didn’t know what the timeline was to get it open.
“I’m just really glad it’s progressing for one thing. It’s been a long time so people have been waiting. So finally we are getting something done and something is going to happen here right away.”
The news of staffing and that the centre will re-open has Nokomis Mayor David Mark relieved. “it’s great news. It’s a relief, it’s been a frustrating process. But without the support of the board, we would be at the whims of one individual.”
Mark said he understood the staff had been hired for some time but weren’t informed by the General Manager, Ward Bruner. We reached out to Bruner but haven’t heard back by publication.
“We are still requesting a re-open date so that we can help promote that. The doors closed without notice so we don’t want the doors to open without promotion. We are hoping that Ward will provide us with a date. It also gives him a definitive end to whatever process he is going through. As our letter states, we need to show that the coop is a viable asset. The interdependency of the gas station with our business community is a vital component as we have been arguing. With the recent interruption of service I think we are going to use it as a good example of why it’s important to spend local. The vital importance all of our businesses really play. There is the hardware story there is the gas station they are all singulars. Which we work together as a group to create that network that we need day to day.”
Mark credits the cooperative structure and the democratically elected board for getting the gas station re-opened. “We will continue to contribute to the promotion of the agro centre the expansion of it. We will continue, in the future talking about - What do we need? What do we want? We deserve it. We don’t have to settle for less…the co-op will be one of the places we can focus our energies on from an economic development point of view.”
