SANIRAJAK/HALL BEACH - Christmas came early for Hall Beach this year.

Ian McIver, general manager of the Hall Beach Co-operative, spoke excitedly, barely pausing to breathe, when he described the recent opening of the Co-op's new 6,000 square foot location.

Hall Beach elder Percy Pikuyak, centre, blesses the new Hall Beach Co-operative on the store's first day of business, Aug. 26. Once the ribbon was cut, residents got their first look at the 6,000-square-foot store. - photo courtesy of Arctic Cooperatives

And why not? For a community of around 650 people, constantly coping with a limited supply of fresh produce and other hard-to-find food items, the opening of a vastly beefed-up grocery is a big deal.

"Just about the whole community was outside our doors, waiting for us to open," McIver said of the grand opening on Aug. 26.

School was off for the day, and several other businesses closed for two hours so residents could attend.

"The ribbon was cut by elder Ben Arnardjuaq," continued McIver. "The store was opened and a mass of members and community members visited our store.

"A lot of them were in awe. They look around and say, 'Ian, I'm not in Hall Beach, am I?' They haven't seen some of this before."

The 36-year-old store moved out of its 3,500-square-foot location, which had served as its home for 15 years and is now used as a cold warehouse. The new store has its own 3,000-square-foot, heated warehouse.

"There are massive differences between the old and the new," said McIver.

Whereas the old store only included one to two feet of cooler space for produce, a four-foot deli cooler and six freezer doors, the new Co-op boasts 12 square feet of produce, deli and dairy cooler space, as well as 16 feet of freezer doors.

"Everything has just expanded," said McIver. "There's much more assortment to choose from now."

Aesthetically, the store has also improved added McIver.

"It's a very high ceiling. We have signage in each isle, in both English and Inuktitut. We have overhead posters throughout the perimeter showing some landmarks of Hall Beach, some community members."

Red and green tube lighting surrounds the exterior.

"I guess if you're flying in an aircraft coming in at night you can see the lights," he said.

Shelly Brake, the community's economic development officer, said she believes the new store will result in healthier food choices for the community.

"A lot of people here want healthier choices," she said, adding the store is "definitely bigger than the other one. There's a lot more variety to pick from."