ᒋᓚᓐ ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑭᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ.
“ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒍᓱᒃᑐᖓ ᓴᓇᒐᒪ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ, ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᒃᑯᓐᓂᐅᙱᓐᓂᖅᓴᖅ, ᑐᕌᒐᖃᕋᑉᑕ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ, ᑭᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᑉ ᑐᖏᓕᖓ, ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑯᐊᐸᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᓕᕐᒪᑦ 54-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᒃ ᑐᒡᓕᐊᓂ, ᒪᐃ 10-ᒥ.
“ᓄᓇᖃᕋᑉᑕ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓱᓇᓗᒃᑖᑦ ᐊᑭᑐᔫᑉᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᐅᓛᖅᑎᑦᑕᕆᐊᖃᕋᑉᑎᒍᑦ ᑯᐊᐸᕗᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᑎᑐᑦ – ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕆᐊᖃᖅᖢᑕ ᐊᑮᑦᑐᖅᐳᓪᓗ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑐᕆᐊᖃᖅᖢᒋᑦ, ᓴᓇᔨᕗᓪᓗ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒪᕙᒃᖢᑕ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᒡᒍᓴᐅᔾᔪᐊᕐᓗᑕᓗ – ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑐᕌᒐᕆᔭᖅᐳᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔪᒪᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᐅᔪᑦ. ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᐃᙱᑦᑐᕐᓕ ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᐅᒋᙱᑕᕋ.”
ᑭᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐸ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᑎᑦᑎᔪᖅ ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒃ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕕᖕᒥ, ᓯᓂᒃᑕᕐᕕᒃ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕕᖕᒥᒃ, ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐃᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᑕᓚᕕᓴᒃᑯᑦ ᑮᐳᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒡᓗᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᔪᑦ.
ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᙵᓂ 2004-ᒥ ᐊᐃᕆᓕᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᖢᒍ, ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑯᐊᐸᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖄᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᓂᑑᐸᒥ ᒥᑦᓯᒪᑕᓕᖕᒥᓗ.
ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᓕᐊᕋᒥ, ᑯᐊᐸ ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒃ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕕᐅᑉ ᐃᓂᖓᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᐋᖅᑭᐅᒪᙱᑦᑐᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᑉᓗᓂ. ᓄᓕᐊᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᓵᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ, “ᐊᐃᑦᑖᖑᒐᓗᐊᖅ ᓰᓈ ᓲᕐᓕᑭᐊᖅ ᑕᒪᐅᙵᕐᓂᖅᐳᖓ?” ᓴᓗᒪᙱᑦᑐᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᒃ ᓄᑕᐅᙱᑦᑐᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ.’ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᖓ ᓯᓇᒧᑦ, ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᔪᒪᙱᖦᖤᕐᒪᑕ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ.”
ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᔫᓐᒥ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᒥ, ᐃᑲᔪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᑕᐃᑲᓂᑦᑕᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐃᓂᒋᓕᖅᑕᖓᓂ.
“ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᑐᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᑖᖅ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ ᒪᑐᐃᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ.
ᑕᓪᓕᒪᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᓂᓖᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᖕᒪᑕ, ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᒃᓴᑦᑎᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᓪᓗ ᐅᑎᕐᕕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖓ.
“ᑯᐊᐸᐅᔪᖅ, ᐊᓯᖏᑦᑎᑐᑦ ᑯᐊᐸᒋᔭᐅᔪᑎᑐᑦ, ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᖕᒪᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ, ᑐᑭᓯᑎᑦᑎᒋᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒦᒻᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᓖᑦ ᐅᑎᕐᕕᐅᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᑎᒋᖕᒪᖔᑕ.
“ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᕋᑉᑕ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑦ ᑕᒫᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐊᖑᔪᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒦᑎᑦᑐᒪᒐᑉᑎᒍᑦ. ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᐅᙱᓐᓇᑉᑕ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᖅᑎᐊᓘᖕᒪᑕᓕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐊᖏᑦ ᖃᑉᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓄᙵᐅᑎᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᑎᐊᙱᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᑉᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᓗᐊᙱᑦᑐᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑦ ᐅᑎᕋᔭᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᕋᔭᙱᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ. ᑐᕌᒐᕆᔭᖅᐳᓪᓕ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᔪᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ.”
ᓴᕆᒪᒋᔭᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᒐᔪᖕᒪᑕ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕋᓱᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᑉᓗᑎᒃ.
ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᒡᒎᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᒡᒍᓴᐅᔾᔪᐊᖃᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ, ᐊᑭᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᒥᑭᓪᓕᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓲᑦ.
ᐊᒥᓱᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᐃᓐᓇᕈᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ ᑭᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᑎᒍᑦ.
“ᐅᖃᐅᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᑉᓯ ᑯᐊᐸᒋᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓚᕆᖕᒪᑦ, ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓱᓕ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᕗᑦᕗᑦ.
Glenn Woodford’s passion for the role of the Kissarvik Co-op in Rankin Inlet is palpable.
“I appreciate working for the Co-op, as opposed to the corporate structure, because our goal is to help people,” said Woodford, assistant general manager of the Kissarvik Co-op, which celebrated its 54 anniversary on Tuesday, May 10.
“We live in a part of the country where the cost of living is high. We have to run the Co-op as a business – we’ve got to make money and pay our bills, pay our staff and we want to give back to our membership while remaining competitive – but our goal, our mission is community minded. We want to help people. And that’s not in the corporate world, and I don’t like that.”
The Kissarvik Co-op includes the Turaarvik Hotel, Siniktarvik Hotel, liquor warehouse, cable TV and rental properties.
Woodford has been working at the retail arm of the Co-op since April 2004, after working for several Co-ops before, from Manitoba to Pond Inlet.
When he came to Rankin Inlet, the Co-op was where the Turaarvik Hotel now stands, and it wasn’t in great shape. He turned to his wife and said, “‘Oh my goodness, Sheena, what have I got myself into? That’s a dirty, crusty old store.’ I said to Sheena, it’s no wonder people don’t want to support this Co-op.”
But in June that year, he helped open the new store in its current location.
“Man alive, it generated a lot of excitement in this community,” said Woodford.
Five or six years after that, it became profitable enough to start paying back its members, a business structure Woodford believes strongly in.
“The Co-op itself, as with any co-op, is membership driven,” he said, explaining that ownership is local and members receive dividends based on the store’s profitability and how much people support it.
“We’re about the community. Any money that’s made here, we want to keep it in the community. We’re not the corporate structure where you make lots of money and the money goes south to the shareholders who know very little about the community and really don’t care if the money comes back or not. Our aim is to support the local economy of the people of Rankin Inlet.”
He’s proud of the charitable role the Co-op plays in the community through sponsorships and other support.
Woodford added that by virtue of existing and competing with other retailers in town, prices are held down.
He looks forward to many more years of serving the community through Kissarvik Co-op.
“I can tell you this Co-op has come a long way, and it can still go a lot further,” said Woodford.
