Ottawa business races to fill orders after Iqaluit grocery store fire

An Ottawa company that ships goods to Nunavut says orders have come pouring inas word of a major fire in one of Iqaluit's two grocery stores spreads.

Northern Shopper sends staff out to shop on behalf of residents of the territory's Qikiqtaalukregion and thenships those packages up north by plane or, in the warmer months, by boat.

KitMacKinnon, the company's president, said they started receiving orders as early as 6 a.m. Thursdayas people woke up to the pillar of black smoke coming fromNorthmart, which sells groceries andother supplies.

"I had to bring in extra staff, extra shoppers. We're hoping that some people work through the weekend so we can catch up,"MacKinnonsaid.

Ottawa business races to fill orders after Iqaluit fire

6 years ago

Duration 0:51

Kit MacKinnon of Northern Shopper says orders for fresh food have been pouring in from Iqaluit since a fire decimated the city's largest grocery store.

Cindy McDonald is a shopper who also packs cargo for the company.

"Demand is going up. Orders are coming in. We're going to be busy for a while," McDonald said.

"[People want] fresh produce. They want the meat, the bread the basic perishable food that everyone wants in theirhomes."

Also shipping dry goods

On Thursday, the company received about 50 personal orders,or as many as they normally get in a week.

MacKinnonsaid most of the orders are for fresh food including for the company that supplies Iqaluit's restaurants and a farmer's market but they've also included dry goods that are normally shipped by sea container.

"We don't normally send dry goods up by air because it's very, very expensive," she said, pointing to a package of diapers.

"[But] people are worried they're not going to have diapers up there. They're going to pay extra to ship it I can't help that."

MacKinnon said the airlines Canadian North and First Air have reached out to the company to say they'reworking to accommodate larger shipments.

'There won't be a food shortage'

Since the final sealiftbefore Frobisher Bay freezes had arrived shortly before the fire, the resulting loss of storage space at Northmart could be felt throughoutthe winter.

Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoosaid air shipments are continuing to the community, bringingbetween 50,000 and 60,000 kilograms of goods that Northmart is coordinating with other retailers to get intocustomers' hands.

"It will all get out there. I'm hopeful and I'm pretty sure there won't be a food shortage," Tootoo said.

Tootoo also said the local, territorial and federal governments are working on a response to the fire and will be coordinating once the damage has been assessed.

With files from Adrian Harewood