Pictured above: Wabasca Northern store manager Rob McKinley (left) presents the Greener Tomorrow cheque to Bigstone Public Works manager Chris Beauregard, to be put toward the development of the Little Sandy Lake landfill.

Residents of Wabasca, AB will soon be able to help maintain a greener and cleaner community with the introduction of a large landfill in Little Sandy Lake, funded with the assistance of a Greener Tomorrow grant.

The funding provided by the Northern store, worth $8,878, was directed to Bigstone Public Works, which will work on the development of the landfill scheduled for completion in the fall of 2021.

The new landfill, which is 44 kilometers southeast of Wabasca, seeks to provide a greater means of recycling and managing waste, along with alleviating the garbage that has accumulated in the community’s smaller transfer station. Residents are eager for the transition and acknowledge Northern store manager Rob McKinley’s efforts so far in assisting the community.

Bigstone Band Councillor Ken Alook says, “We as Chief and Council feel appreciated and our relationship has flourished because of the work Rob has done in our community. We also would like to give a huge thanks to The North West Company for allowing Rob to make a positive presence in our community; we are excited to see what other opportunities may come from our grocery store.”

Northern/NorthMart runs the Greener Tomorrow program intending to eliminate the use of plastic grocery bags. To encourage the use of environmentally friendly alternatives, customers are charged a fee for plastic bags, then all funds collected throughout the year are reinvested back into the community to support environmental and social programs.