Iqaluit Northmart unveils new look 4 years in the making
Most changes affect grocery area, with further renovations to continue into the fall
Northmart store manager Terry Lichty leads a store tour on Tuesday evening. The public got a first look at the new-look store Wednesday morning. (Photo by Daron Letts)
The Northmart store in Iqaluit unveiled a 10,000-square-foot expansion of its grocery space Wednesday morning with what officials called a “soft opening.”
“Holy cow, look at this space,” said Jim Caldwell, president of Canadian retail with Northmart’s Winnipeg-based parent corporation, The North West Co., during a preview for media and invited guests Tuesday evening.
Northmart deli assistant Candy Batario displays a barbecue chicken pizza, on Tuesday. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Changes include custom pizzas being baked in the store, an expanded selection of Asian foods, a Joe Fresh clothing line, a lunch counter and salad bar offering pre-made meals, fresh-cut flowers, and a larger deli and bakery.
A new entrance in the centre of the storefront was also added.
On the outside of the building, a design depicting a hunter and kayak, inspired by the late Nunavik artist Juanisialuk Irqumia, who died in 1977, is to be installed this year.
The store previously launched its pharmacy and optical clinic, relocated from the Astro Hill retail location, in mid-2025.
“Something like this doesn’t happen by accident,” Caldwell said. “The team did remarkably well getting to this point.”
Staff are stoked by the expansion.
“I love it,” deli assistant Candy Batario said, as she sliced a barbecue chicken pizza with what looked like a large ulu.
Byron Whissell, who started as a bakery manager four years ago and now serves as a senior manager, said he has chipped in with ideas throughout the renovation process which took about four years from design through construction.
Designers incorporated some of his input in the bakery design, he said.
“It’s so much better,” he added, as he stocked a freezer with frozen turkeys.
Innovations behind the scenes include rear-loading freezers, mechanized produce watering, automations in the pharmacy, a new roof, and the addition of a nearly four-million-litre water tank behind the store for fire suppression and an alternate water source for the city in a pinch.
Staff and guests explore the renovated retail space at Northmart in Iqaluit, on Tuesday. The new space opened to customers on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Daron Letts)
The furniture and clothing sections in the older part of the store will be renovated by the fall, said store manager Terry Lichty. A smokehouse will be added to the deli at that time as well.
The Tim Hortons coffee counter will undergo a makeover, including opening a new entrance allowing customers to walk directly into Northmart.
The KFC outlet currently on Nipisa Street will move in with Tim Hortons, Lichty said, to offer takeout service. When asked about the cost of the work, company spokesperson Brigitte Burgoyne declined to provide the amount because the project is still ongoing.
“This is long overdue,” said Mary Anne Walker, chair of the Nunavut Food Bank, who toured the store Tuesday.
“We need to have choices, we need to have fresh food, and we need to have variety. This gives people more employment — it’s great.”
And parking???
Jeepers. People always gotta complain. Give it a rest for one day. The workers and construction guys worked so hard. They were so genuinely proud of the results when I was there shopping today. One guy came up and shook my hand and asked what we thought of it. He looked so tired and satisfied. It looks good today. Great work!
Parking? You’re out of touch with the reality of no available space. What would you suggest?
26 years ago my little child was almost run over in the NM parking lot. I suggested changes to NM headquarters and they said it’s the individual stores responsibility.
The worst area is right near the entrance. Big ass vehicles keep parking there blocking traffic. The fire lane is a joke too.
Drivers don’t care. NM doesn’t care. It’s all an accident waiting to happen.
Ask the city. It’s not in northmart’s control.
What does it say about Iqaluit that none of the employees discussed are Inuit?
Not the company spokesperson.
Not the store manager.
Not the senior manager.
Not even the deli assistant.
Nothing against these people at all, they’re just getting jobs where jobs are available, but it’s well-known that Inuit are underrepresented in the workforce, and if they’re not even filling deli assistant positions at the local grocery store, what is going on?
So you are Inuit supposed to just be appointed to management position with no management experience? Or are they supposed to work a few months then be promoted to management?
There are very few locals that have been there long enough to have worked their way up to be management or have the experience of management.
Have you put 3-4 years in at Northmart and earned your way to the management level?
No, people shouldn’t be appointed to management positions with little to no experience. And it’s likely there are very few that have been there long enough to work their way up or have enough experience to be management. My question is not placing blame on anybody, it’s literally asking the question, why are we not seeing representation?
Is it NorthMart’s hiring practices preferring non-Inuit?
Is it attrition?
Is it from constantly being burned by local hires and needing dependable employees?
Is it a lack of applications from Inuit?
Is it that there is no incentive to work an entry-level deli assistant job compared to being on social assistance?
I am asking, what is going on?
Ppl don’t want to go off income support
Mitch, why would that be now? Is this what is taught and or expected today!? Where is the pride? Why would a race not want to work and stay on income support? What would the reason be for this?
How can it be changed if this is the case? What is causing this to be like that?
Inuit are underrepresented in the majority of workforce in Nunavut including the government itself so cut it out. This article is not about that, it s about the hard work that went into expanding northmart.
No thanks. We support local only
Support local Inuks, not southern corporations with record high stocks
Sure thing, let me know where the Inuit owned grocery store is and I will be there
Baffin Gas and groceries it’s Inuit owned
Run by the same organization that owned the crappy fake Starbucks/convenience store that could have been a licence to print money if anyone cared to manage it in any way. Never had milk, bread, chips or anything, but you could sometimes buy weird old models of iPads and paper towel. Can’t imagine why they closed.
But Baffin Gas! Cool. I’ll get all my fruit and vegetables and etc. from there. Oh. Wait. It’s a gas station convenience store, not a grocery store that can serve the whole town.
Slow news day when you gotta plug the Northern
There are two teams involved in the employment process. One team provides the opportunity compensation and stability. The other team takes advantage of the opportunity applies for a position does the work receives compensation and gains stability.
Lots of options. But is it affordable? Or are we all paying for this reno all over again since northmart came into town.
Popped in yesterday, no thanks! Prices are even higher than before
You obviously have all the data on this.. share it with us!
The worst company in all of Canada.
The new renovations look great. The prices are shockingly low, for the time being.
Looks good, don’t forget, NWC was HBC, they had centuries to sharpen their practices of legalized robbery since 1670. And they know how to take every penny you have if given a chance. And they have the ball on their courts every single day..