It's been quite a few years since Melinda Tatty first touched down in Rankin Inlet as a teacher in 1973, when the community had a population of just under 500.
Melinda and her husband, Peter Tatty, left Rankin to retire in Nova Scotia 18 years ago, arriving at their new home on July 15, 2006.
The couple left a huge legacy behind them in Rankin known as M&T Enterprises Ltd.
The company was owned by Peter and his sister, Angelina, who was married to Ray Mercer.
Melinda said they took over a business that was previously owned by a white man and built it up to be a really good business.
She said Peter and Angelina were partners in the business and her and Ray fit in as their spouses.
“Ray and I certainly did our bit, but Peter and Angelina owned the company,” said Melinda. “We had almost all Inuit employees and those who weren't Inuit were married to an Inuk. So, we were quite proud of that fact.
“It was a real struggle at first. Everybody said we were going to fail and that we wouldn't last longer than six months. Well, we definitely did. The negativity came from the old colonialistic attitude that still prevails to this day.
“When we took it over, the people at the Con shed built a big wire fence so our crew couldn't get in to where they kept all their big government secrets, or whatever they kept at the Con shed. They wouldn't let our guys go behind the counter at the airport either. It was hard.
“And then, with the cargo, lots of stuff stopped disappearing and damages stopped happening and then, all of a sudden, they never finished things at the Con shed because they realized our guys were hardworking and honest.”
Melinda said M&T's employees weren't at all what so many at the time thought they were like.
She said she never really understood colonialism until she moved to the North and married an Inuk. Then it became quite obvious to her.
“We started building up trust with all the different companies we did business with, probably, within the year. The Northern store saw its damages go down big time and stuff like that.
“We had a job to do and we did it to the best of our ability. We weren't out to rip anybody off. We were there to provide a service.”
Today, M&T Enterprises is owned by Sakku Investments Ltd.
Melinda said they have lots of great memories of their time in Rankin Inlet.
And, she said, they also have lots of great memories of the staff members they had at M&T over the years.
“Every year we thought, boy, we couldn't get a staff better than this and, the next year, by golly, we had a staff that was greater than the last one. It was hard to believe. We always had a great bunch of hardworking guys.”
Melinda had been on a student exchange program in Arctic Quebec when she fell in love with the North and put her name in to teach in Rankin Inlet.
She said she used to host teen dances at her house on Friday nights.
“We had up to Grade 9 in Rankin at the time and Friday night wasn't the happiest night in Rankin because we still had beer sales at the time. I really got to know a lot of people during my time in Rankin.
“You really have to get to know the people in Rankin. I just didn't hang out with the white group. Now, we love living on the south shore of the Northumberland Strait. We can be in three different provinces within an hour. We have no family or relatives in Nova Scotia. We had no ties here at all when we moved here.
“We've met an absolutely wonderful bunch of people here. We're so happy we're here and our family loves to come down and visit because it's so nice and different.
“Peter and I will be married 50 years this year. People said it would never work, but it did. What we really miss the most about Rankin are the people — our family and the people. That's the real Rankin. It's not the buildings or anything. It's the people.
“We miss the fishing, also, and going out on the land and stuff, and when we go back up for a visit, we go out to our son's (Hamish) cabin. Peter (who is battling illness) got out fishing this time, so it was really nice.”
