Nine days after a fire ripped through the warehouse of Iqaluit鈥檚 largest store, the Northmart grocery store finally reopened Saturday morning.
A long line-up of shoppers gathered outside the store to stock up on food.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the store to reopen,鈥� Iqaluit resident Elisapee Nowdluk said from a line snaking from the store鈥檚 entrance. 鈥淚 miss 鈥� the bakery aisle and the meat!鈥�
The fire, which began in the early hours of Nov. 8, completely gutted Northmart鈥檚 warehouse. A youth has been charged with arson and public mischief in connection with the incident.
Local residents had been concerned about food security and prices in a region that already pays some of the highest figures for groceries in Canada.
The store itself was largely untouched, with a smoky smell being the only sign of the inferno when shoppers arrived Saturday.
In addition to boasting a freshly-stocked grocery section, the store also held a half-off sale on merchandise that had been exposed to smoke and fire, such as furs and electronics.
David Chatyrbok is vice president of The North West Company, which runs the store.
鈥淭he fresh food absolutely had to go,鈥� Chatyrbok explained. 鈥淲e worked with the health inspector, identified all the different product that had to go.鈥�
Chatyrbok said that staff worked 24/7 to get the store open again.
鈥淎nd then the product that we could donate,鈥� he added, 鈥渨e absolutely worked with the health department to make sure that we knew what could be donated, and we are donating that food.鈥�
With a report from APTN National News鈥� Kent Driscoll
