By Trevor Greyeyes
The gas station owned by Peguis First Nation at St. Peters and Fuller Road has sat for nearly two years with no word when it will open again.
I wondered to myself what was going on and there was a woman at the gas station when I went by.
Contacting her later, Angela Mostowy said she was one of three people hired to watch over the gas station by Peguis Development Corporation (PDC) to watch over the building and any assets on the property.
Good, I thought.
Especially when you consider the recent break-in and vandalism at the empty daycare building in East St. Paul.
It’s reassuring to know that there just might be twenty-four-hour security at the location with three people watching over that empty building.
However, she is not part of the PDC management team and couldn’t answer basic questions such as:
- why isn’t the gas station operational?
- when is it going to open?
- are there still items on the shelf?
- who is responsible for this mess?
And never mind the cost of building that structure out.
I have been unable to get any figures actually stating how much that facility cost.
And before this chief and council, or the next one, talk about developing economic opportunities, the fiscal house that is Peguis First Nation has to be put in order.
I don’t care that it represents an initiative from a different Peguis chief and council. It’s a depreciating asset as it is now.
If there is fiscal mismanagement, then an audit and investigation should be done.
I left messages at PDC but no calls were returned.