Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (July 08/02) - It started off as a building with broken windows and old metal shelving, but it has been turned into what Rannva Simonsen calls the closest thing to heaven on earth.

Simonsen shares this space, her workplace, with her husband of five years, Kirt Ejesiak. Together they have turned one of the old Hudson Bay buildings -- the flour building -- on the beach in Apex into a place they call their own.

From this building, three separate businesses are run. Rannva Designs produces handmade garments such as purses and moccasins. Uqsiq Communications deals with everything from graphic design for the government to advertising. In addition to this, the pair runs a seasonal kayaking company.

It sounds like a busy place and an environment fated to be chaotic, but it's not. With a new smooth and lacquered wood floor contrasted by the almost ragged original planks which make up the ceiling, the building is a union of past and future, delicate and enduring.

"It's nice. I like to have the past with me when I envision the future," explains Simonsen.

This is reflected in the work the pair has taken on. Simonsen produces sealskin items inspired by traditional patterns woven into more modern clothing.

And the same thing goes for the interior design of the building. Simonsen, also an educated architect, planned the renovations and supervised the work. She worked with the original layout, leaving it origins intact, and added more new age touches, such as the hard wood flooring and halogen lighting.

The re-working of the inside of the building was completed in 1999, almost a year and a half after it started.

Simonsen and Ejesiak held one of their kayaking courses in the building in 1998. Instructors and participants slept on the floor with sleeping bags. The building had no electricity and had not even been insulated yet.

Sleepless nights

Ejesiak says while the renovations were taking place, the pair had a lot of sleepless nights.

"At one point, we thought that we were going to have our office on a plywood floor," says Ejesiak.

But today, the two are quite comfortable.

They are making enough money to pay their bills and can afford to take a day off now and then. Simonsen says their income is a reflection of the work they've put into the building and of the services they offer.

"We like to think that the peaceful area we work in is shown in our designs," says Ejesiak.

Simonsen and Ejesiak have signed a long-term lease with the Northwest Company, the corporation that owns the historic building. Future plans include a sustainable energy system that will incorporate solar panels and a windmill into the property. For now, a magnificent view of Frobisher Bay and a feeling of accomplishment is what makes work fun -- as Simonsen insists it can and should be.