Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 29/01) - Construction on the new mini-mall in Rankin Inlet has Jim Ramsay bubbling with the enthusiasm.

The general manager of the Evaz Group in Rankin said last week the unseasonably mild autumn helped move the project along.

"People are starting to slow down when they're driving or walking past the site," said Ramsay. "If you watch them on the street, they're starting to look with genuine interest."

The mini-mall will cover about 7,000 square feet and can be expanded by another 4,000.

It is totally financed by the Evaz Group.

Ramsay said job-creation in the community played a big role in the project. Tittaq Office Supplies, for one, is definitely going to expand its product line.

"Tittaq will increase its hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. I can see the store increasing its staff by three to five members. I also understand the store is looking at other opportunities, but it's too early to comment on that," he said.

Ramsay said all the materials are on hand and the Evaz Group wants to get the building up and running as soon as possible. It is scheduled to open in March.

"We were a bit upset over the late start on construction, but politics will do that sometimes," he said.

"The siding will take about a month to get in place, and the mall should be framed in by Dec. 10."

The project is the first substantial development in Rankin Inlet since Alaittuq High in the late 1990s.

Ramsay said that, while there have been government projects undertaken in the past few years, not much has come from the private sector. And yet, he noted, private sector initiatives create local jobs.

"The mini-mall will definitely help create more local employment. And the new building is really going to improve the appearance of the downtown sector and that was long overdue."