Humble janitor Maggie Gordon is lauded

DENISE RIDEOUT

IQALUIT — Whether she’s waxing the gym floor or baking bannock for the teachers, Maggie Gordon does it with dedication.

Gordon, a longtime Iqaluit resident, has been working at Joamie Ilinniarvik since the first day the school opened its doors in 1989.

Before that, she worked at the local dry-cleaner, which did laundry and dry-cleaning for the hospital and local businesses.

Last week, Gordon was honoured for being the longest-serving territorial employee in Iqaluit. At a reception in Iqaluit last week, she was recognized for the 30 years of labor she’s given to the region.

As one of its janitors, Gordon keeps Joamie school ship-shape.

“The job I like the best is when all the floors are clean,” Gordon said, a smile breaking out on her face.

While Gordon simply describes herself as a cleaner, the staff says she brings something special to the school.

“She is pretty much part of the staff,” said David Serkoak, Joamie’s principal. “She’s quiet and she isn’t keen on bragging about what she does.”

Besides doing her day-to-day cleaning duties, Serkoak says Gordon makes bannock for the teachers, brings snacks for the kids and joins in on the students’ morning exercises.

“She’s known to every kid in Joamie school. She’s very popular and well liked,” he said.

The 62-year-old is well known in the community as well. She’s worked in Iqaluit since moving here from Kuujjuaq in 1963.

One of her first jobs was at the dry-cleaners, where she pressed and folded bed sheets from the hospital and the Ukkivik residence.

“I was happy,” Gordon said, through an interpreter, about receiving the recognition.

With three decades of work under her belt she isn’t ready to throw in the towel yet, Gordon said as she waxed the gym floor.

That suits Joamie’s principal just fine. Serkoak says the school is privileged to have such a dedicated employee.

“She does her job right from the heart,” he said.