Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 15/01) - The business community of Rankin Inlet has a solid reputation of stepping up to the plate whenever it's needed.

Indeed, the term "good corporate citizen" is more than a spin doctor's phrase when there's work to be done in the Kivalliq.

In fact, when an ambitious project such as the downtown development phase in Rankin is about to move forward, a number of corporations are usually willing to step up and lend a helping hand.

The Nunavut Power Corporation is doing its share to help launch the Rankin project, and area superintendent Randy Robinson says the effort is simply all part and parcel of being a good corporate citizen.

"We did this in tune with the hamlet," says Robinson. "I first told SAO Ron Roach we wouldn't charge anything to clear wires out of the way if any of the buildings had to be moved.

"The idea is to improve the downtown area and we wanted to do our part to help make the project a reality."

It was decided the existing structures between the Siniktarvik Hotel and the hamlet office are going to be torn down, rather than moved.

But that didn't keep Robinson from pitching in to deliver the power.

The new buildings will be in the way of the existing poles, so Nunavut Power had poles to move and wires to string.

Because the new building will be attached to the hotel, power will run from the existing panel with a line running into a separate meter in each new office.

"While we were doing this project, we were able to take care of some housekeeping chores we wanted to do anyway," says Robinson.

"But it was still a fairly expensive job. We did it for free because we wanted to do our part to help bring development and improvement to our community."