Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Fort McPhersone (Mar 06/00) - It took an enormous amount of work and lots of determination to rebuild the Tetlit Co-op in Fort McPherson, says Piet Van Loon.

It also took "vision to build the best possible facility," said Van Loon, who is on the board of the Tetlit Co-operative.

And hundreds of members of the community turned out Feb. 27 to celebrate the opening of the new co-op. The old co-op, which included a hotel, was destroyed by fire about two years ago.

On the hotel, which was also lost in the fire, Van Loon says the Tetlit Co-op board "decided they wanted to build the best hotel we could."

But when the cost of the project -- something more than a box with rooms -- was examined, it came out $400,000 more than budgeted.

Efforts to partner with other local organizations have not advanced so the project is on hold, Van Loon said.

Arctic Co-operative president Bill Lyall stressed to dozens of Fort McPherson residents that they are the owners of the store and its future.

"What you have here is your own," Lyall said.

"When you make a profit, it goes back to you."

"All the money you put through the Hudson's Bay Company (which owns the competitor Northern Stores) goes down south.

"If you go to the Northern Store, only two or three people get rich. If your dollar stays here you will benefit.

"Every time I say that, I'm told I'll get sued by the Hudson's Bay Company (but) they haven't yet," he said.

The cost of building the 540 square metre (6,000 square foot) store was not disclosed. But with commercial construction costs running at about $150 a square foot in the North, the building's price tag is likely at least $900,000.

The Tetlit Co-op is one of 36 co-ops across the NWT and Nunavut.

Arctic Co-operatives chief executive officer Andy Morrison said for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1999, the co-op organization had revenues of $90 million. At May 31, 1999, co-op assets were $70 million. Annual profits were $2.1 million.

Some $2 million was returned to member co-ops to be distributed back to individual members, Morrison adds.

The new Tetlit Co-op is one of several initiatives under the co-op banner. Among the plans, is a new co-op in Deline. Work has already begun and the replacement store should be completed this summer, Morrison said.