Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Kugaaruk (Aug 07/06) - The Koomiut Co-op will mark its 40th anniversary this month and there may be no one as proud of that accomplishment as John Ningark.
He was the founding manager of the store in 1966. Offered the job while in his early twenties, he moved to Kugaaruk from Winnipeg, where he was taking vocational training.
The Co-op created work, bought carvings and furs from community members and sold basic groceries and dry goods. It was a far cry from the merchandise and services offered now, Ningark admitted.
"Today when I see Co-op employees operating computers, people wearing designer clothing and buying with Visa and bank client cards here in Kugaaruk, I know my efforts from yesterday were worth more than I could imagine," he said.
Many others played instrumental roles, including the priest who envisioned the venture, he added. The greatest initial hurdle was to convince the government to provide start-up funding, said Ningark. Later the challenge became obtaining money for a permanent airstrip. Forced to be innovative in the interim, the community built a seasonal airstrip on the sea ice each year, he recalled.
Getting supplies for the store was made easier by cooperation from the nearby Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line site, which was regularly receiving shipments, he said.
Another challenge was ironically created by the concept that the community "owns the store," a line that the business liked to flaunt. A few of the early employees took that concept literally and naively brought home merchandise without paying for it, Ningark said, laughing.
He said he always encouraged the government to support the store.
After all, many Kugaaruk residents learned skills there that they were able to parlay into advancements elsewhere, he said.
After guiding the business through its first six years, Ningark himself moved on to become Kugaaruk's senior administrative officer. He later served three terms as MLA for the region. Yet he reflects fondly on his managerial days, a time when he received a $150 a month pay cheque - and $65 of that paid for his low-cost housing. But the native of Repulse Bay said he would gladly do it all over again.
Today the Co-op remains the only store in the community. It has expanded to include a hotel, heavy equipment and acts as an agent for other businesses.