Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 3, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press Friday March 3, 1978 Kathy Graham product manager and Mary Jane constant Are part of an eight person Parka manufacturing operation that flourishes in the base ment of an empty store in the Tineka shopping mall at the Pas. Run by the native women s association the operation is going at full capacity fulfilling orders across the nation. The shopping Complex Ottawa clears Way to write off half of million debt photos by Dave Bonner. Includes a Square foot Iga supermarket and a Square foot department store run by metropol Itan stores. The mall draws on a population of within a 50-mile radius but the manager of the Complex says the mall should be located in an area of 50.ooo people who have a fair amount of disposable income. Shoe shipment stranded Indian shopping mall Hopes for boost a shipment of shoes to . N.s., when the Captain and Shin corp., possibly from Crew went in strike a Coin Italy were left stranded Pany spokesman said thurs aboard a ship in Halifax Day. By Hob Lockky the Pas Man. The Pas Indian hand s Lineka shopping mall May soon receive he shot in he Arm it needs to become a financially viable operation. Last week chief Charlie constant and Oiler Tineka corporation officials met with senior Indian affairs department representatives from Ottawa to discuss the debt Load Hai Kink Over the mall. The debt is reported to be More than million. Mall manager Phillip Dorion says in Cost the corporation in interest charges every Day the doors of the shopping Centre Are opened. Apparently the Federal government has cleared the Way for a write off of about 50 per cent of the debt. Mall officials feel they can carry the remainder from operating profits. Bailed nut some band leaders Are expecting an i told you so response from sections of the Pas business Community who have Long predicted that the Day would come when the mail would have to be bailed out with a sizable input of Public funds. Chief constant says the reason the government is taking the action is a Brief presented to Indian affairs by the band Council giving the history of the develop ment. The Brief contends that the band s original idea was to build a Large food store with a few other outlets mainly to serve their own people. This concept was expanded to something approaching Polo Park proportions under pressure from Federal civil servants. The original Complex was in be a Structure and Cost estimates went As Low As the mall grew to a Square foot building with a supermarket department store and several Large dry goods stores. Building costs were also much higher than other shopping centres because he Federal Public works depart ment acted As contractors. This meant the mall was built to standards set for fed eral government buildings. Tineka corporation presi Dent chief Henry Wilson of he swampy Cree Indian tribal Council notes that mall construction was held up by a province wide build ing trades strike. Little work was done one Winter and heat had to be maintained on he site. The mall opened for Busi Ness in november its official opening was in octo ber currently Dorion says 83 per cell of the Square foot area on the main floor is rented. There Are Square feet of office space on he Mezzanine of which Square feet Are rented. Mall management is Wor ried about reports that he provincial Northern affairs department May move its operation in the Pas to Thompson. The department occupies Square feet of office space. Doing Well a basement area is used for a Bowling Alley and two movie theatres both run by the Indian band and both Are doing Well Dorion says. On the main floor Iga food stores operate a Square foot supermarket in co operation with the band. Store management say business Lias been beyond our expectations and is maintaining a constant in the Oiler Anchor outlet is a depart ment store operated by metropolitan store.-, Ltd. Manager Duke Del Kowicz a Vel ran of 17 years with the Winnipeg based Chain says he Tineka mall ranks third in its class of store in the National net work. We need a Little More vol ume and we d really he says i m optimistic. We re picking up All he Lime and have Learned How to change our merchandising mix to match the he notes that other mall outlets Saan stores lid. And Robinson Little and co. Ltd. Carry similar Mer Chandise to some metropolitan departments. There could be a lol of useless Competition but we be Learned to comple ment one Dutkewicz says. As for undercutting Busin esses in the Pas he says the Bay Macleod s and mar shall Wells have All expanded their stores in recent years. Elmer Young manages the Robinson Little and Chez cloth outlets in the mall. He says both businesses arc running but predicts it will take another three to five years before hey take Saan s management makes a similar report. Jodi s sights and sounds Ltd. Radio Shack is very Busy according to its assistant manager Steve Bachnick 21. He says i can Sec pretty Good things ahead for this mall once they get it filled this is the mall manage ment s constant headache. We re trying to attract National firms but you show me one of them that is ready to locale in Northern Manitoba under present economic Dorion says. Frankly i Don t know what the future holds. This mall should he located in an area with people in draw on who have a fair amount of disposable in theft inca mall draws on a population of about within a 50-mile radius. Chief Wilson says the shop Ping Centre like every other Enterprise depends on the National Economy. Some times it looks As a Lough then Hole bloody country is going he says. But the solution to the mall management s dilemma May be flourishing in he basement area below one of the empty stores on the main floor. Here he native women s association has started a Parka manufacturing opera lion with the help of a local employment assistance program leap Grant. The Opasquia manufacturing company As it is called employs eight local women. Presently they Are producing at full capacity filling orders from Ottawa other parts of Ontario Winnipeg Churchill Thompson and the Pas. At limes they have to move their merchandise up to the main floor store to handle the local Trade. Soon the company is to Lake on More staff and begin an Assembly line production. Dorion feels Indian Handi Craft and other distinctive Home grown industries will be part of the answer he s looking for along with More National retailers. A Veteran businessman in the town said recently that some people in the town resent the fact that the mall merchants Don t carry their share of he tax Load in he area. A few businesses on our Side of the River have gone under. But i think the mall has been a real asset to our total Community. It s something new. The Pas Indian band has had the courage to break out and try something a lot bigger than any other band in the prov Ince. I m pulling for them to succeed and i m sure As hell they on 3 year term promissory these notes Are offered by prospectus copies of which Are available on request. Ort guard acceptance corporation limited fice Winnipeg sir cot 944-0730 in Zenith 82200 wheat Board chief optimistic there s Only Way to the most efficient building cleaning. Get it building cleaning contractor modern building cleaning guarantees the Best value for your building cleaning Dollar. Proof modern cleans More buildings hospitals and educational institutions than any other company in Canada. That s the Best reason to Call modern when you want building cleaning service. All this and local personal service too. In Winnipeg Call 774-1914 a. G. Markovich Branch manager modern building cleaning 496 Margrave is Winnipeg in your cily. Seethe yellow pages Canada s largest cleaning contractor Regina up Esmond Jarvis chief commissioner of the Canadian wheat Board was cautiously optimistic about Canada s Grain Irac Here in a speech to about 200 persons Al tending the Regina farm forum. Jarvis said it is too Early to make firm predictions about what will be planted in since the first seeding Inton Lions report won t be out until april 7 and because prices arc unpredictable. There s too much Grain around to expect the Market to take off but prospects arc Good for firm and gradually improving Jarvis was also optimistic that Canada s Grain handling system will be cleaned out by the beginning of the new crop year despite a bottleneck in loading ships at Vancouver. He said Farmers with High Grade Barley and be Able to de liver in All by the end of the crop year. Global Grain consumption will increase by two per cent in 1978 As developed coun tries expand livestock production because cheap feed Grain is available he said. Jarvis said total wheat cd polls arc about 76 million bushels ahead of last year and Are Only slightly below the record Levels of 1972-7.1. He said volume Selling is the Only Way to keep farm incomes at reasonable Levels because Grain prices have declined steadily to a Bushel last year from in 1973-7-1. This year returns will be even he said. Last year s prolonged har Vest Means that Utility wheat won t be moved until next fall and Quolas for the crop year will remain Small he said. Meanwhile Henry Zilm Saskatchewan s chief statistician predicted finished beef would run 50 cents and perhaps 60 cents a Pound by fall. Space for rent prime locations fort Garry 1455 Waverley units from 2.89o so. It. Inkster Plymouth Church units irom so. It. Fort Garry 1100-1146 Waverley units from so. It. Featuring fort Garry Clarence Irene units from so. It. St. James Border notre Dame units from so. It. Office space Only St. James Sherwin Saskatchewan .800 so. It. I trackage 1o% office finishing truck Grade loading paved parking spading areas immediate occupancy 1625 Dublin ave. Pal. 775-8501 vein if Lii pfc Filna Saskatoon ;