NorthMart Iqaluit Store to re-open on Saturday, November 17

Press Release

Winnipeg, MB, November 13, 2018 – The North West Company is pleased to announce today that its NorthMart Store in Iqaluit, NU will re-open its doors on Saturday, November 17, 2018. Recognizing the importance of the store to Iqaluit residents, The North West Company is working around the clock with the full support of local contractors, the Government of Nunavut and City of Iqaluit to get the store open by Saturday.

“We are thrilled to re-open our store less than 10 days after the fire which destroyed our main warehouse,” said Alex Yeo, President, Canadian Retail, The North West Company. “Thanks to the heroic efforts of the firefighters, first responders and RCMP, the fire damage was primarily contained to the main warehouse adjacent to our NorthMart store. Without their coordinated efforts, the store would likely have been lost,” added Yeo. “Thankfully there was minimal fire damage to the store, with portions of the facility sustaining smoke and water damage. Our dedicated employees and trades people have been working extremely hard to replenish our large assortment and re-open as quickly as possible and we thank them for their efforts. NorthMart is a major employer in the community, with 117 employees and it is important to resume operations for our committed employees and those they support.”

“Our buyers and logistics teams have also taken tremendous steps to replace a wide variety of the products that were lost or damaged as a result of the fire. Our commitment is to ensure that Iqaluit residents get the food that they need.” stated Yeo.

The North West Company is planning to rebuild the warehouse and continue making improvements to the store to ensure that in the medium term, Iqaluit residents are able to access the services and products they need. “We look forward to finalizing these improvements with the help of the City of Iqaluit and Government of Nunavut in the next month,” added Yeo.

About The North West Company

North West is a retailer serving rural communities and urban neighbourhoods in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and Caribbean. We are committed to helping our customers live better by bringing them the best products and services together with a tradition of community support. North West’s Northern and NorthMart stores are the largest local private employer of indigenous people in Canada, with over 3,000 employees and an annual payroll exceeding $65 million.

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For more information contact:

Alex Yeo
President, Canadian Retail
P: 204.229.5378
ayeo@northwest.ca -or-

Derek Reimer
Director, Business Development
P: 204.934.1469
dreimer@northwest.ca

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