Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 10/01) - An adulthood in the infantry wound up being good training for Dan Manship's current job.

Manship, who retired from the Royal Canadian Regiment, now acts as the shipper-receiver at Arctic Ventures Co-op.

Dan Manship is a shipper-receiver with Arctic Ventures, shuffling the cargo that comes through the warehouse. - Kevin Wilson/NNSL photo

Asked how much material passes through on a given day, Manship simply said, "it keeps me in shape."

His broad shoulders are testimony to just how in shape his job keeps him.

With military precision, Manship has to bring home the bacon, bananas, and anything else that goes into Ventures' departments. That means produce, consumer electronics goods, pet food, clothing, and anything else Iqaluit's consumers are demanding.

It's no small task. Since everything is either flown in or brought by sealift, warehouse space is at a premium.

Manship has two large rooms, plus a series of shipping containers, also known as sea cans, behind the co-op for storage. There's also a cooler for perishables and a freezer for frozen goods. Everywhere you look, the boxes are piled high.

"There's a system for stuff coming in," said Manship. Frozen goods get taken care of first, followed by fresh produce and dairy products. The reasons are pretty evident, and Manship has seen more than his fair share of perishable goods perish due to a mistake somewhere in the supply chain.

A load of frozen goods recently got held up on the airport tarmac in Iqaluit. By the time it arrived at Ventures, it had completely thawed out.

"It all went right in the garbage," said Manship.

Manship also has to keep an eye on what's coming in and going out of his warehouse, because when merchandise runs out, "it's the consumer who ends up feeling it," when the extra cost of flying in cargo gets tacked on the list price.

What's more, if a popular item runs out of stock, shoppers will alter their shopping patterns and visit the competition.

Manship said his job is "pretty fun," although there's always something to keep him busy. With the Lady Franklin making its last delivery on Sept. 23, Manship has something else on his mind.

"I don't like unloading sea cans in the winter," said Manship, especially "in minus 60 when you gotta go in there for some customer."