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Tulita Northern reborn

Sydney Selvon and John Curran
Northern News Services

Fort Norman (Jan 09/06) - The 5,300-square-foot Northern store in Tulita is undergoing a massive transformation to the tune of $2 million.

North West Company officials determined the store was no longer adequate to service the needs of residents and industrial workers coming to the community as a result of Husky's activities at the Keele River. A new 6,400-square-foot building is going up and could open to shoppers within four months.

"The old and the new buildings will be linked, the old one to be used by the staff and for other purposes including storage," said Scott Crockett, a company official based in Yellowknife.

"This is a big expansion for us in Tulita. We are looking forward to finishing construction in March and open up in April."

The company knows it has received a lot of support from the residents and is proud to be part of the community and reinvesting in Tulita, he said.

Resident Jonas Neyelle said he is happy with the store's expansion.

"It's been a long time coming," he said. "I hope this will also mean more products, especially foods we don't have now."

Neyelle wants more fruits and vegetables, among other things.

"I do the cooking myself and I would like things like fresh garlic, which we don't have here," he said.

The new store will feature what the company calls a "fun-to-go" area. It's a self-service space where customers can dispense coffee and slushies at the push of a button or grab snacks like muffins.

The company said the new store is part of its constant push to reinvest Northern revenues in the NWT and Nunavut.

"That's where we make our living," said Tim Ross, manager for the Arctic.

Pointing to the recently renovated store that reopened in Aklavik last month, as well as the store in Repulse Bay that arrived in late 2004, he said the North West Company is also one of the largest employers of aboriginal and Inuit people in Canada - second only to the federal government.

Once Tulita's new store is completed, next on the company's list will be major improvements to its operation in Fort McPherson.

"As was the case with Aklavik, Fort McPherson will see a major renovation allowing us to expand our fresh and frozen food lines and general merchandise as well as including the addition of a gas bar," said Ross.

The company handling the bulk of these construction projects is Northwell Enterprises out of Gimli, Man.

"They've had a great deal of experience working with us in the North," said Ross. "In each case we look to use the local workforce as much as possible, but if the skills you need aren't available you have to bring in specialists."