CARLYLE - Carlyle witnessed an exciting milestone with the grand opening of the new Southern Plains Co-operative grocery store on Nov. 14, a state-of-the-art facility set to serve the community with enhanced retail options. The event was a celebration of local partnerships, cultural respect and community spirit.
The ribbon cutting ceremony began with a heartfelt blessing from renowned artist and elder Michael Lonechild from the White Bear First Nations (WBFN). Lonechild is also a pipe carrier.
Lonechild said his people smudge with white sage every morning, asking for a blessed day, and for people to have the opportunity to get ready for the day ahead. As he walked with the smudge into the front foyer, he asked the greater powers to bless the building and its employees.
His blessing underscored the importance of unity, respect for the land and the significance of his collaboration between Indigenous communities and local businesses.
Lonechild said a prayer in his Indigenous language to complete the blessing.
Southern Plains Co-op general manager Brian Enns said this new facility was a great opportunity for so many people.
Carlyle's first co-op store opened in 1940, and more than 80 years later, it was still booming with success.
Enns said that Carlyle is a very vibrant town, with growth, a great deal of support and a new school coming soon.
Town Councillors Gord Paulley and Nicole Currie added to the speeches by reminding people that a short time ago, the co-op also opened a new liquor store. The co-op also supports the town with the Fuel Good Day fundraiser.
Next up was RM of Moose Mountain No. 63 Coun. Jack Wilson, who spoke on the history of the store and how it has grown. Back in the day, shares cost $5, which was a big price in those days, and it began mainly with a group of farmers. The store has continued to do well and now there is a beautiful new store to enjoy and shop in.
Stephanie Kuch has been the store manager for 16 months and she has been in the grocery industry for over 20 years. She was excited to finally cut the ribbon for the grand opening and said a lot of work had gone into getting this store ready for the day.
The project began in September 2023. She visited the project site daily and brought progress to her staff at the store to keep the excitement going.
The 20,000-square-foot store is located on the south side of Highway 13 and can be seen easily from the highway. It was built by Quorex Construction out of Regina, with several trades involved, including Croft Electric and Reinhardt Plumbing.
When it was finally time for the store to be filled with stock, 400-600 hours of preparation took place to get ready. Several Southern Plains Co-op team members and managers came from Estevan and Oxbow to help so they could maintain the existing location while preparing for the opening of the new store.
“It truly shows how a local co-operative comes together to take care of the community’s needs,” said Kuch.
At present they have Melissa Johnson-Kurtz as the produce manager, and she has run the department for four years. According to Kuch, Johnson-Kurtz is very passionate about her department and strives for perfection.
Nikki Meurs has worked for the co-op for over five years and is the bakery/deli manager. She is known to jump in and help her team in any way she can.
Kuch is not only the store manager but also looks after the grocery department. Although they have all the full-time positions filled, they still need a meat manager and are always looking for part-time staff, which is an opportunity for students.
“Over the past several weeks I was so grateful for the Carlyle team and all the help through Southern Plains Co-op,” said Kuch.
“The week of opening, the dedication to push ourselves became stronger every day to ensure that we had the store looking the best we could for the community,” she said.
The store has top-notch equipment, with many new products and the space to move around.
“The day of opening we shared stories of dreams that we had been having about working in the new facility. Many had said how tired they were because they could not wait for the customers to come through the doors,” Kuch said.
Kuch and her team are looking forward to serving their customers in the new place.
While shopping at the grand opening, customers were offered coffee by Michael's Coffee Shop and an employee walked around the store handing out small bags of chips for customers.
“It was a very busy day,” said Kuch, “But all the hard work was so worth it.”
