Port Ed General Store, the only retail establishment in the district, is closing down on Nov. 30.
It had been serving the community of about 470 people for four and a half years since Gitmaxmak'ay Nisga'a Society took over and for generations before that.
The mart was a one-stop shop for all necessities, such as gas, groceries, packaged foods, fishing tackle and more.
In 2020, the Gitmaxmak’ay Nisga’a Society (GNS) acquired the business from Maverick Foods.
In a Nov. 6 news release, the society announce it has made the "difficult decision" to close down due to financial reasons. They said the current cost of inputs, the economic viability of the business, and the increasingly dilapidated condition of their building all contributed to the decision.
“Moreover, margins are tighter than at any other point during our four-and-a-half-year tenure owning and operating the store,” said GNS.
From Nov. 30, residents of Port Ed will have to drive at least 30km round trip to the nearest grocery stores in Prince Rupert, such as Safeway and Save On Foods.
“It’s devastating and extremely inconvenient for the patrons of our campground,” said Port Ed resident Debbie Thompson. She says the store had “pretty much everything.” Debbie and her husband operate the Kinnikinnick Campground and are concerned that access to items such as fishing gear and fuel for boats will become more difficult for both residents and visitors.
The Gitmaxmak’ay Nisga’a Society thanked store manager Lance Sankey and his team for working tirelessly to keep the shop open to citizens.
“Please be patient with us over the next several weeks. As we look to sell off our current inventory, there may be some products that sell out quicker than others before our closing date and we apologize for this inconvenience,” they added.
