Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007

RANKIN INLET - The longawaited purchase of the Siniktarvik Hotel in Rankin Inlet has finally become official.

The Kissarvik Coop will officially take over operation of the Siniktarvik on Jan. 1.

The Coop's purchase of the hotel has been the source of much speculation in Rankin during the past few months.

Kissarvik completed the purchase of the Siniktarvik in cooperation with Arctic Cooperatives Ltd.

The Kissarvik Coop also operates the Turaarvik Inn, an Inns North Hotel in Rankin. While Turaarvik is successful, the Co-op decided to purchase the Siniktarvik in order to service a growing community effectively and to increase its capacity to host conferences and business meetings.

Further details on improvements and upgrades to the Siniktarvik will be released once they are finalized.

Kissarvik manager Walter Morey said he's excited about the future now that the Siniktarvik is under the Co-op umbrella.

He said he's looking forward to offering more services than the Co-op previously could.

"Our hotel has been a very successful venture for the local Co-op, but there was very little possibility for expansion at our location," said Morey.

"The addition of this new property opens the door for us to do a lot of different things."

Morey said once work is completed at the Siniktarvik, the hotel will have about 45 rooms available for rent.

He said the Siniktarvik and Turaarvik will run as two separate departments in the new year.

"We're going to continue doing everything we always did at Turaarvik, and we're going to be working on the Siniktarvik to bring it up to the Inns North standards that we have in place."

Morey said the Siniktarvik purchase is a positive development for the community because the Co-op is committed to Rankin Inlet for the long-term.

He said the Co-op, which now has about 900 members, continues to evolve in the community.

"We have a lot of work to get done at the Siniktarvik, but, in two or three months, you'll know something good happened when you walk into the hotel.

"This purchase is going to accelerate the Co-op's move towards financial independence.

"We're going to eliminate accumulated losses from previous years, get to a balance, and then move into a surplus position in a shorter period of time than we would have anticipated.

"That will certainly put a smile on our members' faces once we get there."