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Effort to fill the gap for youth Pangnirtung resident wants to kick start new community eatery
Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 1, 2013
PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
A Pangnirtung resident is trying to get a multifaceted project off the ground which would incorporate a soup kitchen, a hangout spot and a diner.
Eric Lawlor wants to convert this building in Pangnirtung into a community kitchen project that would include a soup kitchen, a hangout spot and a diner. - photo courtesy of Keita Hill |
Eric Lawlor, a bylaw officer and night manager at the Pangnirtung Youth Centre, organized a meeting of the minds on June 19 to present his ideas and gauge interest from attendees.
The non-profit establishment would operate out of the old Graffiti Burger and Pangnirtung Video building.
He said the plan is to have it run as a diner and coffee shop, where it would make itself sustainable through normal business. It would also provide country foods for lunch and supper free of charge, fulfilling the project's soup-kitchen mandate.
"The idea would be to create a community-run operation overseen by a committee of five civilian executives and five members of local organizations such as Health and Social Services, the youth council, the hunters and trappers association, the district education authority and others," he said.
"All decisions would be made by executives while members would only be allowed to present and suggest ideas, so hopefully it would exclude organizations from entering into any conflict of interests."
He emphasized that it that it would not only be a soup kitchen and although Pangnirtung lacks one, the need for one isn't extreme.
Any profits made would be subsequently re-integrated into the community.
Ideally, it would create three to four jobs with one of the positions being a "mentor," someone who would be responsible for day-to-day operations but also serve as a volunteer to train others to undertake the same tasks.
Lawlor said he's still in the very early planning stages of the project because he needs to run the idea by the hamlet and other organizations. He's currently looking for people who would be interested in helping out.
Four people showed up to the first meeting but many residents are either too busy right now or out of town, he said.
The goal is also to create an additional place for youth to congregate since their options are currently limited to the youth centre or the Quick-Stop convenience store.
University of Alberta civil engineering student Keita Hill, who is spending the summer in Pangnirtung, said business development is important and has to be driven by local needs.
"The current situation in Pangnirtung is just the Co-op and North West Company, neither of which offers substantial prepared foods," he said.
"A community restaurant would be good for employment, use of local country foods, creation of jobs, and tourism. At the University of Alberta I'm involved in a consulting group and one of our activities is to work on business cases - and a non-profit community restaurant is a really interesting business case to look at."
Hill added although he is only in Pangnirtung until August as part of the Engage North Initiative, other University of Alberta students will be coming to the community every year and will likely be interested in carrying on the project.
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