Community Facilities

Health Unit

 

Health services in the community are excellent; residents have daily or immediate access to medical care from nurses or doctors. Two nurses manage the Health Unit and a doctor visits the community every two weeks. If you need to see a health care specialist and you call in the morning, you can usually get an appointment by the end of the day.

 

Groceries

 

The Northern Store serves as both the grocery store and the post office. Mail comes in about three times a week. Prices are higher than in the south but comparable to those in Red Lake. A loaf of bread costs about $6, sandwich meat (e.g. ham) $10, a 12 case of pop between $16-20. Eggs and milk are reasonably priced. A variety of meats are available, as are frozen fruits and vegetables. The selection of fresh produce and spices is more limited.

 

Access to Poplar Hill

 

Poplar Hill can be accessed by chartered or scheduled flights. A scheduled flight is usually more affordable ($200 from Red Lake, $400 from Winnipeg, $650 from Thunder Bay) but you are limited to one piece of luggage, with additional charges for a second bag, which might only be transported to Poplar Hill a day or two later, depending on the number of people on the flight.

 

When first moving to Poplar Hill, it can be worthwhile to charter a plane ($900-1200, depending on the size of the plane). This allows you to bring to the community a greater quantity of non-perishable goods. It is cheaper to transport bulk purchases of toilet paper, tissue paper, canned food, cereal, etc. than to purchase them at the Northern Store. It is advisable to think through what you will need by preparing a meal plan. For example, there are 14-15 weeks from the beginning of the school year until Christmas, therefore bringing up 15 cans of something you eat once a week will carry you through until December.

 

What’s going on in Poplar Hill?

 

The best source of information for events and news is an open Facebook group. There is also a Facebook group where people buy and sell various goods, notably community members sell homemade meals, pies and pizzas.