Gold River is no longer a food desert, thanks to a new co-operative grocery store that opened in the village last month.
However, a grocery store is only the first stage in the co-opB次元官网网址檚 plan to build community resilience and create a kind of food hub for the area, including a community kitchen, a computerized aeroponic food growing system, and even a program to help educate local students about how to grow their own food.
The idea is to B次元官网网址渋nvolve other people in other ways than just selling groceries,B次元官网网址� said Sheri Johnston, one of the co-opB次元官网网址檚 board members. She said that they want to make Gold River into a B次元官网网址渟elf-sustaining community B次元官网网址� in the long run, because we are semi isolated.B次元官网网址�
The co-op, which opened on Oct. 21, is the first grocery store in the community since November, 2016. Until it opened, people had to commute 90 km to Campbell River for groceries.
B次元官网网址淭he community is pretty happy about it. Especially the people that donB次元官网网址檛 drive too much,B次元官网网址� said Johnston. B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 have vehicles. So theyB次元官网网址檙e looking for rides from people. So, yeah, it makes a big difference, especially with the price of gas going up so high recently.B次元官网网址�
The board of the co-op decided to be completely independent, as opposed to being part of the larger Federated Co-op group found elsewhere on the Island. Due to the small size of the store, the Federated Co-opB次元官网网址檚 requirement for stock levels was too much for the store to handle. This way members are able to request certain kinds of food to meet their dietary needs, as well as hold things like case lot sales.
B次元官网网址淲e want it to be a kind of center of the town, you know having an outdoor market in the summer and maybe music and stuff to draw people in, that kind of thing,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淛ust make it more of a meeting place in a way.B次元官网网址�
In the meantime, people in Gold River just seem to be glad to have a grocery store again.
Johnston said that one of the top selling items is ice cream. B次元官网网址淭he one thing that everybody was really excited that we have in was ice cream,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that it had a tendency to melt during the hour and ten minute drive between Campbell River and Gold River. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just more convenient for people looking for the larger containers.B次元官网网址�
The new store is located centrally in the village at 385 Nimpkish Drive. It is open to non-members as well as members, and membership cards are available in the store.
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