GRAND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY - GRAND MARKET REOPENING RIBBON CUTTING

Sept. 14, 2026

By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

What began as a grocery store opening 21 years ago has become something much bigger for the Mille Lacs Band community.

On Aug. 18, Band members, community members, employees and Band leadership gathered to celebrate the grand reopening of Grand Market following a major round of renovations and improvements.

The celebration included a ribbon cutting, refreshments, giveaways and booths representing several Mille Lacs Band departments. District I Representative Carolyn Beaulieu, Chief Executive Virgil Wind and Wewinabi CEO Michele Palomaki shared remarks during the celebration, reflecting on Grand Market's history and its importance to the community.

Grand Market first opened in the spring of 2005. Two decades later, Band leadership made the decision to provide a significant capital investment in the Wewinabi portfolio, with Grand Market selected as the first location for improvements.

The work included important safety and HVAC upgrades, a new parking lot, a renovated deli area, an updated customer service area and improvements to the restrooms.

Beaulieu said the improvements are an important step toward bringing Grand Market up to a level where it can better serve the community.

"The focus of this investment was our Band members and our community," she said. "Could we have done more? Absolutely. But as we continue to look at the sustainability of Wewinabi, we also have to be mindful of both our business needs and the concerns of our community."

Beaulieu also emphasized that Grand Market is more than a place to purchase groceries. It provides employment, flexibility and opportunities for Band members. Currently, Band member employment at the store is approximately 60%, with 22 part-time associates and two full-time associates.

"Grand Market demonstrates the important role this business plays in our community, not only as a grocery store, business plays in our community, not only as a grocery store, but as a place that provides employment, flexibility, development and opportunities for our Band members," Beaulieu said.

"This is a great example of what can happen when we invest in our business, and most importantly, our people," she added.

Beaulieu also recognized the Grand Market team and Wewinabi leadership, noting the importance of having Wewinabi leadership directly connected to the location.

"I am especially proud of Grand Market," she said, recognizing the opportunities the store provides for Band members and the community.

For Chief Executive Wind, however, the significance of the reopening goes far beyond the improvements to the building.

As he reflected on Grand Market's 21 years, he focused on the people whose lives have been touched by the store.

"When I think about what we are celebrating today, I don't just think about a building or a grocery store, I think about the people. I think about the families who have walked through these doors over the last 21 years. I think about the Elders who didn’t have to travel so far to get groceries, the parents who stopped by after work to bring dinner home to their families, and the Band members who found employment here and were able to provide for their households, and the countless people who have relied on this store being here when they needed it." Those everyday moments, Wind said, may seem small individually, but together they represent thousands of lives made a little easier.

"And that is what our commitment to our people should look like," he said.

Wind noted that the original investment in Grand Market 21 years ago was an investment in access to food and essential goods, but more importantly, an investment in the people of the Mille Lacs Band.

The reopening represents a renewal of that commitment.

"We are saying our people deserve quality services close to home," Wind said. "We are saying our communities deserve continued investments. And we are demonstrating what sovereignty looks like when we use it to improve the everyday lives of our people."

Wind also recognized the many people who helped bring Grand Market to this point, including employees who have served the community over the years, the Band Assembly, the Wewinabi team led by Palomaki, the current Grand Market team, contractors and construction workers.

"A building doesn't serve people. People serve people," Wind said, thanking everyone who contributes to Grand Market's success each day.

Palomaki reflected on the vision behind the project, noting that the work began taking shape in 2024.

"It was a long time coming and I am very grateful for this day," she said

The celebration culminated with the ribbon cutting, officially marking the beginning of Grand Market's next chapter.

For Wind, that next chapter is about continuing to ask what more can be done for the community.

"As we celebrate today, I hope we remember where we started and appreciate how far we have come," he said.

He challenged the Band to continue looking ahead and considering how its investments can make a meaningful difference in the lives of its people.

"The greatest measure of our success as a nation isn't simply what we build," Wind said. "It is whether what we build makes a better life for our people."

After 21 years, Grand Market stands as one example of that commitment — a place where families shop, Band members work, neighbors gather and an investment in a building becomes an investment in the people who call the community home.

With its renovations complete and a new chapter beginning, Grand Market is ready to serve the Mille Lacs Band community for years to come.