Yellowknife (Oct 04/06) - Get ready to hit your easy button next spring.

Staples Business Depot will open a two-storey store in Yellowknife between mid-May and mid-June 2007, said the company's director of construction, Rudy Roopnarine.

NWT Rock Services began blasting last Friday at the company's lot on Old Airport Road beside the Frame Lake Plaza.

Once blasting is finished in mid-October, construction on the 28,000-square-foot building will begin, he said.

"We're ready to put our best foot forward," said Roopnarine.

Construction will last throughout the winter and employ 60-80 workers, he said. The first floor of the building will be used for storage and will be 10,000-square-feet.

The main retail section on the second floor will be 18,000-square-feet.

Staples plans to "bring in the same merchandise" as any southern store in its chain, he said.

The furniture, office supplies and technology retailer plans to hire between five to 10 full-time workers and 20 to 30 part-timers, he said.

"There's no question that we will focus on hiring Northern workers," said Roopnarine.

The total costs of the project are still being estimated, he said.

"It is a substantial investment for Staples."

As director of construction, Roopnarine said he will be on site at numerous times throughout the winter.

"We are looking forward to get going," he said. "It's going to be a challenging winter."

Zoning and building approval were granted by the City of Yellowknife in August of this year, said Monte Christensen, city manager of planning and lands.

The arrival of another store shows that Yellowknife is continuing to expand, he said.

"This provides another service for the people of Yellowknife."