Former NorthMart workers say company forced family out of staff housing in Hay River

A couple that worked atthe NorthMart in Hay River saytheir employer treated them unfairly by evicting their family from a company-ownedhome.

Dan St. Jean, the store's formergrocery manager, saidwhen he gave his two week's notice to leavefor another job, the company that owns NorthMart, North West Company, said his wife and kids had to get out of staff housing even though she was still employed as the store's grocery supervisor.

"I couldn't believe that the company, after working as hard as we did and going out of our way in so many ways to help this company, were doing this to me and my children. It was quite a shock," said Jodie Annable, St. Jean's wife.

The couple had been working for the North West Companyfor four and a half years, having served stints in northern Quebec andTulitabefore arriving in Hay River.

The company refused an interview request for this story. It says it can't talk about the specifics of any personnel matter due to privacy law.

In a written statement it said:"Generally speaking, our policy is that housing is conditional on employment.This is necessary as we have limited housing in many communities and we need to ensure it is available for staff. This is understood by employees upon assignment of their housing."

Wife quit shortly aftereviction

Annablesaid she and St. Jeanhad always been upfront with their employer about their plan;St. Jean was going to leave NorthMart to pursue a job in addictions' treatment, a field he's trained in, whileAnnablewould continueto work at the store until June so her two children could finish the school year in Hay River.

But Annable saidshortly after her husband officially gave his notice at the beginning of February, the couple wascalled into the manager's office while a human resources representative sat on speakerphone.

"She told Dan and I that, because Dan had given his two weeks notice, and the housing was originally under Dan's name, that me and my two kids were to be out of the house. They were giving us until the end of the month."

Annable saidcompany officials told them they needed the house for theperson takingSt. Jean's position.

She saidshe was so offended by the eviction, she quit,pulledher kids out of school in Hay River, movedto another province, and re-enrolledthem there so they couldfinish the school year.

The couple thinks there is more than one reason why the company didn't want their familystaying in the house.

They saidthe North West Company had rented out another staff house in Hay River for the Arctic Winter Games the following month. And they saidearlier,St. Jean had filed a complaint aboutthe regional manager.