NAKINA, Ont. -- The community of Nakina is about to lose a major retail outlet.
The North West Company announced Tuesday that it will close the Northern Store outlet on March 31, 2018.
In a brief announcement, the Winnipeg-based company said "This location is no longer sustainable and as a result we made the difficult decision to close our Northern Nakina store."
Greenstone Mayor Renald Beaulieu called the development "disappointing."
Beaulieu said that he had hoped the reopening of the Nakina sawmill would help sustain local businesses.
The store's closure means Nakina residents will have to travel 45 minutes to Geraldton if they want to shop at a large store.
An executive with the North West Company said the firm appreciates "the hard work and dedication our employees have demonstrated" in serving Nakina.