Small businesses in Nunavut, Nunavik say let’s work together during COVID-19

With the territory locked down to visitors and most stores forced to close, businesses in Nunavut are feeling the effects of COVID-19.

And the effects of those closures are hitting some businesses hard.

In Iqaluit, Steve Sullivan, general manager of the Frobisher Inn and the Storehouse Bar & Grill, has had to lay off 55 staff.

“It was a very rough couple of weeks, people you’ve bonded with, people you’ve tried to earn their respect and trust and the same for them and then this happens,” Sullivan said.

“We as a company tried with our staff to make this as painless as possible, understanding that there’s going to be some pain, obviously.”

Sullivan said although things have changed, management at the Storehouse and Frobisher Inn are still trying to support the staff as much as possible. That includes offering them one free meal a day, provided in takeout containers and without contact.

“We do get to check in with them and chat. We try our best to be as positive as we can be. This isn’t something that anybody is trained for at any hospitality school for when a pandemic happens. We’re learning on the fly,” he said.

The restaurant is also offering takeout, with delivery available for lunch and dinner.

As a major employer in Iqaluit, Sullivan said now is also the time for his business to give back to the community. Recently, the Frobisher Inn donated to a breakfast program run by local teachers.

“Even during these times there’s still people that need our help, both from a personal and professional standpoint. We just try to do what we can,” Sullivan said.

“This is hard on everybody. Even in this rough time, people are giving back. That’s pretty cool.”

Dave Forrest, owner of Tivi Galleries in Kuujjuaq, shares that sentiment.

“I think as with many small businesses and entrepreneurs, they’re used to adapting to be successful. We have to adapt and look a little bit for other opportunities that might be out there. And we have to be compassionate, too. You’re part of the community. You share with the community and the community in turn shares with you. We’re all in it together so let’s make the best of it,” Forrest said.

Like Sullivan, Forrest has had to lay off some of his staff. Tivi Galleries is also closed to the public.

“I think we’re all in a type of mourning stage. We have a staff of 10, with three laid off and a few working a few hours a day to keep systems going.” Forrest said.

“In a way, everyone is physically apart but emotionally closer together. We’re all in the same boat.”

Forrest also runs Tivi Inc., a trucking company that provides moving services and vehicle rentals. That part of his business is still operating, he said.

“We’re seen as an essential service because we’re transporting all the goods from the hospital and stores and stuff. That part of the business is working,” he said.

“I’d say revenues are down about 70 per cent. For anyone that was laid off or working in reduced hours, I guaranteed at least 50 per cent of their salary.”

Forrest hopes that will change with the federal government’s new Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which provides a 75 per cent subsidy for qualifying businesses.

And although the gallery is closed, Forrest said he will continue to buy art from local artists for as long as he can.

“For many, it’s their sole source of income. We don’t want to leave them hanging dry. Fortunately we’re in a position where we can afford to buy, for now. It depends how long this continues. We’re good I think until at least the end of April as far as purchasing is concerned. The money that the government is offering, the 75 per cent of salaries, that would help us buy from the artists for a longer period of time. It does have a ripple effect,” he said.

The federal government also recently announced up to $306.8 million in funding to support small- and medium-sized Indigenous-owned businesses during COVID-19.

The funding will allow for short-term, interest-free loans and non-repayable contributions through Aboriginal financial institutions, which offer financing and business support services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses.

The federal government also announced $15 million in funding to the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency to support businesses in all three territories. Federal Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal said more details on how that funding will be distributed will come soon.

Bernice Clarke, who runs UasaU Soap in Iqaluit with her husband, Justin, said the pandemic has slowed down her business.

“We’re kind of resting a little and organizing … our house again and I guess it will be a good time to focus on the business in another way from this change. Maybe we can do more paperwork,” Clarke laughed.

Clarke, who makes soap, body butter and other goods infused with bowhead whale oil and blubber, usually sells her products online and across the territory. For now, she has stopped shipping out product and is offering home delivery in Iqaluit.

“What I do is I hang it on their door and I only accept EMT [email money transfer] so there’s no contact at all. So I knock on the door, run to my truck, wave and say thank you.”

Clarke said she has also received donations from people to provide UasaU soap to families in need in Iqaluit.

And for entrepreneurs like Clarke, running a small business during a pandemic can make an already isolated profession even more lonely.

“It’s a lonely world being an entrepreneur. Literally there are times where I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m making soap at night and my friends are having parties,'” she said.

Despite the isolation, it’s also a great time for small businesses to work together, Clarke said.

“I think this a great time to collaborate. This is a great time for small businesses to start looking at each other and say, ‘OK guys, we’re in this together, what can we do?’ Things are different. Anything is possible right now. You can make your path. This is a time to share and connect and help. There’s strength in numbers.”