The official groundbreaking took place Friday afternoon in Vermilion Bay for a $5 million project.
Spokesperson Ben Raison of Spruce River Construction Management and Engineering says the project at the corner of Highway 17 and Highway 105 will include a Petro Canada gas station, a convenience store, and long-term there is a vision for a quick serve restaurant.
The partnership includes North Spirit Lake First Nation, Poplar Hill First Nation, and Deer Lake First Nation. They were originally formed to capture opportunities in construction through the Watainikiniap transmission line project. And now that that has wrapped up, they are interested in more long-term investments. Raison adds, “They’re very excited about this opportunity.” He also notes, Clark’s Bait and Tackle located right beside the construction site has partnered in the fuel station.
Anyone who has driven that stretch of highway knows finding a bathroom is always a challenge, but the developers built that into the drawings for the project very early in the process. Raisin sees it as a place where travelers can stretch, have space to let the dog out for a minute, and pick up some gas and snacks before continuing on their journey.
The partnership has received some funding through the federal government, through Indigenous Services Canada along with funding through Minister Greg Rickford’s office. The developers also praised the community of Machin for working closely with them to move the project ahead in a timely manner.
The architects for the project highlight the Cross-Laminated Timber and Glulam beam and column construction will create a warm and welcoming rest area with the exposed wood ceilings.
Construction is expected to be done by late spring.
