INUVIK - Lazarus Maring headed out of Inuvik's newest hardware store on Friday morning with a new ladder in hand.

"There's a lot of things that I need here that I couldn't get before," said Maring. "So I'm happy it's here."

Home Hardware owners Bernice and Joe Lavoie showcase the ceremonial gift presented to them on behalf of the company's head office at the store's grand opening on July 10. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Just an hour before Maring's purchase, Home Hardware's presence in Inuvik was resurrected on Franklin Road. The store's new owners celebrated its ribbon-cutting grand opening. Joe Lavoie, his wife Bernice and brother Eddie Lavoie celebrated with a small gathering that included local residents and dignitaries, as well as a few upper management officials representing the national franchise.

The Lavoies have run a hardware store from the location for 18 years: 10 of them as an independent outlet and the other eight under the True Value Hardware banner.

A Home Hardware franchise had been located on Mackenzie Road in the 1970s.

While customers checked out the merchandise, Joe Lavoie said it was a risky decision to switch affiliations, which involved buying out the previous owner's rights to the franchise. But he said they were mitigated based on Home Hardware's solid national reputation and being able to offer a greater variety of merchandise to customers.

"The True Value Hardware banner just didn't have such a broad selection of products," he said. "With Home Hardware you have a broader scope, variety. It's a higher standard of service and it's very much community-oriented. It's something that appealed to us."

The couple have also opened a sports shop, carrying an array of merchandise ranging from running gear to squash equipment. He said hockey gear will arrive in time for the season.

The hardware store also boasts a fully-stocked lumberyard. Lavoie said about 100 feet of flooring has been installed to accommodate new merchandise, which amounts to about a 30 to 40 per cent increase in housewares stock. The store will employ 12 and also be equipped with a computer ordering system, which he said will allow for orders to be shipped from the distribution centre in Alberta within a few days.

Mayor Derek Lindsay was on hand for the event and said he was happy the Lavoies chose to carry on the Home Hardware tradition in Inuvik, adding he thinks they've positioned themselves well with infrastructure projects on the horizon, such as the superschool and the remodelling of the Aurora Research Institute.

"It's good news," he said. "I'm certain they'll do well and get lots of local support. And I'll finally be able to buy, locally, covered latches for my camper."