Skwah First Nations – Skwah First Nations Free Store has been in the social media buzz since it was announced that it would close and find another location.
On Saturday June 10, Diane Janzen, Chief Administrative Officer Skwah First Nation issued a statement to clarify the First Nation, moving forward with the Free Store and what the plans are:
Skwah First Nation has been operating the Free Store as a band-initiative to provide food security for Skwah First Nation members for a number of years. We understand that members in need rely on this important service and we are committed to ensuring food security for our members. We are aware of recent social media posts providing inaccurate information about the closure of the Free Store which has caused confusion and worry for our members.
While the Free Store has provided important food security, we also have received complaints and concerns about a lack of opportunity for First Nations members to benefit from working there, liability issues, conflicts of interest and most recently financial mismanagement. Importantly, many people who have been accessing the service are not Skwah First Nation members and this has placed a great strain on the resources available.In response to these complaints, we reviewed the program and discovered it has not been operating as was intended. Urgent changes are necessary to prioritize food security for Skwah First Nation members and move to a position of sustainability. We are therefore taking the following steps:
