Stephan Burnett
Northern News Services

Cape Dorset (Apr 05/04) - Some business expansions add a little bit here and there. The expansion at the Cape Dorset Co-op tripled its size.

Order of Canada recipient Kenojuak Ashevak recently cut the ribbon at the expansion of the Cape Dorset Co-op store.

Completed Feb. 1, the grocery store went from 3,500 to 12,500 sq. ft., adding 9,000 sq. ft. overall, said Glen Patryluk, general manager for the West Baffin Eskimo Co-op store in Cape Dorset.

Every section of the original store was affected in the $2 million expansion project.

"Frozen foods went to 29 doors (of display space) and 89 feet long. We added frozen meat cases, fresh produce cases, fresh dairy and deli cases, and a hot food counter with BBQ chicken," said Patryluk.

"It's been received by everyone very well. Sales have increased (by 20 per cent), much more than we ever expected," he said.

The West Baffin Eskimo Co-op took out a 20-year mortgage to make the Cape Dorset Co-op expansion possible.

The mortgage was provided by Atuktuarvik Corporation based out of Rankin Inlet.

Atuktuarvik is a lending institution set up for beneficiaries of the Nunavut land claims agreement.

Cape Dorset residents have flocked to the store, said Patryluk, prompting him to believe they have taken some business from the Northern store.