.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad
Privately owned success

Pins and needles

Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Panniqtuuq (Nov 25/02) - After working as a janitor for 10 years, Annie Bowkett decided to make her job something she really enjoyed.

NNSL photo

Annie Bowkett owns the Miqqut store in Panniqtuuq. She took out a loan in 1996 to make it happen and paid it off in a year and a half. - Christine Kay/NNSL photo


In 1996, she got a loan from the bank to open the Miqqut store.

"It's in a brand new building. I paid it off in a year and a half. Now, it's all mine," said Bowkett.

Miqqut is a needlework store with everything a family might need to be comfortable and warm. Bowkett sells things like kamiks, duffles, mittens, and slippers.

She learned how to sew when she was 16. She remembers her first project and thinks of how far she's come.

"Back in 1967, I started to make a pair of duffles. They were in bad shape but I could still wear them for a while," said Bowkett.

Today, she sells her creations around the world. Bowkett only opens the store on a part-time basis, but she said it gets busy enough to be open full-time.

She hires women from the community to do piece work when the store gets really busy. They take pieces of the project home with them and do the sewing.

"My goal in the future is to get some funds so I can hire women on a full-time basis and expand a little bit," she said.

The problem, however, is that Bowkett can't find the funds. She often closes the store in January, February and March because she runs out of inventory.

"I have to replenish my stock and wait for my supplies. The yarn comes from France," she explained.

Bowkett said with more money, she could avoid the closure and employ people from the community.

She'll continue to operate on a part-time basis for the time being. Bowkett shares the rest of her days with her seven-year-old child and her husband.