Tk’emlu’ps te Secwépemc to open first band-owned grocery store this fall

Tk’emlu’ps te Secwépemc (TteS) will be opening the first band-owned grocery store this fall: the Swela’ps Market.

The market will be hosting a job fair for band-members only from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 14, at the Moccasin Square Gardens, and all are welcome from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16, at the Coast Hotel Kamloops, according to a band media release.

Starting wages are $17.85 per hour.

Offering many employment possibilities and competitive wages, the market boasts of offering “a supportive and inclusive work environment.”

The general manager of the Market, Kara Stokes, encourages everyone to attend the job fair, especially those looking to start a career in the grocery industry.

“Working at Swela’ps Market is an opportunity to build a career with room for growth and advancement," Stokes said in the release.

At the corner of Highway 5 and Shuswap Road, Swela’ps is set to be approximately 22,000 square feet and will offer a variety of traditional foods and recipes as well as catering services.

“Watching our new grocery store come to life through construction and now hiring is truly a source of pride for our community and leadership, Kúkpi7 (chief) Rosanne Casimir said in the release.

"Sweláps Market is the first step in the commercial development of the site, which will benefit not only our membership but all our friends who reside on the TteS as well as those who will travel here to shop and support our community’s economic development."

The opening of this grocery store answers one of the goals of the community's Comprehensive Community Plan by creating better access to a grocery store for the people of TteS, while further allowing for more robust food security and employment opportunities for the members of the band, according to the market's website. The idea behind the creation of the market is to offer an intimate, community-focused approach to grocery shopping.

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