Whale Cove declares local state of emergency as fire guts only grocery store
Arctic Co-op working to ensure ‘food and essential needs are met’
A fire hit Whale Cove’s Arctic Co-op Friday morning. It’s the hamlet’s only grocery store. (Photo courtesy of Stanley Adjuk)
Whale Cove declared a local state of emergency Friday after an early morning fire destroyed the Issatik Co-op, the only store in the community of about 500 people.
The incident caused worry in the community, with residents posting on social media their concerns about whether there would be enough food supply in the hamlet.
Federal Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal posted on X that “the federal government is tracking the situation and stands ready to support the hamlet and Government of Nunavut if need be.”
A Government of Nunavut release said its officials were working with the hamlet.
Joefrey Okalik posted a video of the fire at the Whale Cove Co-op store early Friday. This is a screenshot from his video. (Screenshot courtesy of Joefrey Okalik)
“The hamlet is working with Nunavut Emergency Management and the Co-op to restore affected services,” Heather Grant, policy analyst with the Nunavut Department of Community and Government Services, said in a news release Friday.
By Friday afternoon, Whale Cove firefighters had the fire under control, Grant said in the release issued about 5:20 p.m. She added that electricity had been temporarily shut down in some parts of the community to protect local power infrastructure.
At 1:34 p.m., Qulliq Energy Corp. posted on social media that full power had been restored. It said crews that were flown to the community by helicopter were assessing damage and further outages might be required.
Details were emerging by midday Friday about damage to the store, which was severe.
There was no word as to whether anyone was injured in the fire or of a possible cause.
“This morning, a fire broke out at Issatik Co-op in Whale Cove, NU, which has unfortunately spread to the food store,” Arctic Co-operatives Ltd. posted on its Facebook page at around 11 a.m. ET.
“As the only store in the community, we understand the importance of getting essential supplies to the community.”
At about the same time, on its Facebook page the Issatik Co-op posted that it is working with Arctic Co-op Ltd. to ensure “food and essential needs are met in the community.”
The post said fuel services were impacted by the fire and some “key equipment has been lost.”
It said it is working with the Government of Nunavut’s Petroleum Products Division to “re-establish all systems.”
Also Friday, the Department of Family Services announced that the income assistance office in Whale Cove will be closed for in-person service until further notice due to staff shortages.
It advised people needing to speak with an income assistance officer to phone Kivalliq Income Assistance Services at 1-800-953-8516, ext. 1602. Assistance will be provided remotely from Rankin Inlet.
In a news release late Friday, the department said that due to the fire at the hamlet’s Co-op store, it is “developing a contingency plan to ensure that this situation does not disrupt service delivery or delay payments to Income Assistance clients.”
When is the Government of Nunavut going to declare an “Emergency” in Whale Cove??????
that would be the Hamlet, not the GN
Contact Government of Nunavut, they won’t respond here.
Fire has finally been put out and power has been restored . It is said the community hall will be set up for the time being to sell groceries of what was left in the c-cans .
Sparks were seen from the wires outside on the store that connects to the pole around 2 am
You’d think the food would be donated at a community centre. Of course the government of the place would have to have it driven in because their post office also got burned.The Lord loves a duck. Do you have any ducks to hunt, fish, I guess someone could contact the various different companies that sell stuff to the store and see if they will donate. The radio station is saved. That could be a command post. Someone could set up a place for donations. Call the Red Cross, Do you have a soup kitchen. Do you have a restaurant. Best of luck to all of you.
The only hotel owned by the Coop caught on fire last year, so there is no longer a restaurant.
Yes, people eat ducks, fish, etc., but there are those who wish to eat fruit, veggies, and chicken. Nothing can be driven here; we do not have roads that access other communities. Everything is flown in. Amazon helped a lot in shipping food, but that was stopped by Canada Post awhile back as they didn’t like the added work in getting the postal code corrected on the fixed codes used to get free shipping.
The community will be handing out seafood caught from the ocean tomorrow; Inuit Organizations, territorial and provincial, are and will be delivering food hampers. The Mayor has endlessly been in meetings asking for assistance and has placed an emergency order, he was also one of the fire fighters.
PPD will be setting up a place to ensure sales are back on the gas and fuel that was being administered at the store.
Health center is shut down and only open for emergency which does not make sense as their building never caught on fire nor where any of their staff assisting at the scene.
Search this user on Tiktok and you will see the ending of the fire ‘ William afton ‘
In other words Whale Cove is an unsustainable community. It should be shuttered and residents relocated to Rankin Inlet or Arviat.
Is relocating everyone really the solution? Whale Cove has been a home since the federal government first forced people to move here. Families were torn apart, with many sent to Rankin to work in the mines. Their dogs were killed, and their traditional way of life was stripped from them. Many struggled to make ends meet and chose to return to their old ways. The federal government then offered them a choice: relocate to Whale Cove. But they were abandoned here with nothing—no tents, no machinery, not even dog teams to help them return to their old ways of life.
Yet, the people stayed. They stayed because the land is beautiful, full of life, and rich with the animals that sustain them.
Our Mayor is doing everything he can to get assistance. Organizations, the Co-op, and the government are all helping as much as possible.
But you can’t just ask people to uproot and leave their homes. Imagine if it were you—would you want to be told to leave the place you call home?
Yes, some families may choose to move for the betterment of their loved ones, but others choose to stay for reasons that are deeply personal and meaningful.
In times of crisis, this community has always come together, helping and supporting one another. And that’s what we’re doing now, just as we’ve always done.
Sad story, though I suspect it is an admix of history and fiction, it doesn’t change the fact that the community is completely unsustainable, offers zero economic prospects for its residents, and is a complete drain on the resources of the GN. It’s not the only community like this, mind you.
That can be said about Kimmirut, Hall Beach.
to be honest, relocating could probably be the best option, what does Whale Cove provide? theres barely any jobs there, a lot of people out of work, tourism is only in the summer when the ocean is clear of ice. to be clearer, what does Whale Cove provide for the rest of Nunavut?
These smaller communities are the back bone for Nunavut, they are usually the best hunting grounds, still very strong in their culture and traditions, places like Whale cove, Grise Fiord other smaller communities have the best people in jobs or politics in the capital or other larger communities.
They are not watered down Inuit like the ones from the larger centres that just go with the southern flow of doing things. Which has been a drain on Nunavut and have caused so much issues headaches to how Nunavut has been directed so far.
Yeah, no. No one forced Inuit to move to Rankin to work at the mine, so stop it with that piece of fiction. Some people who used to work at the mine moved to Whale Cove after the mine was shut down.
Forced to move, no, but this community should be wound up the way that other communities are in other parts of the country. There are lots of Newfoundland outports as examples.
This does raise the question of the viability of communities like Whale Cove.
Same could be said about any community in nunavut. Please learn some history.
Yet, there are meaningful distinctions between more and less viable communities that can’t, or shouldn’t be glossed over.
When you say “learn history” what are trying to get at?
That must be hard , when ,the only store in town burn down.
The fire didn’t go to the tank farm. What’s PPD’s issue? No cashier now?
Canadian Rangers of Whale Cove has distributed food hampers at the Hall, including Arctic Char. In Rankin Inlet, numerous residents have requested donations, which will be shipped by air and boat tomorrow. Kissarvik Coop is offering free shipping of groceries being purchased from here. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed their time and resources—your kindness has not gone unnoticed. Additionally, Jordan’s principal is sending diapers, formula, and wet wipes to be distributed to mothers with babies and infants.
Not sure why anyone would thumbs down this post.
A comment of positivity in a difficult situation for the community .
Our community has faced a tough loss with the store burning down, and we lost everything in the fire. However, we were fortunate to save the remaining c-cans, thanks to quick action. In times like these, it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate the incredible support we’ve received. We’re deeply thankful to the store, to those who donated, and to the Rankin community and their Coop store. We can be both sad and grateful at the same time, recognizing that while things may change, our gratitude remains strong.
Any Community in Nunavut that has higher education than Grade 9 or Grade 10 and a College facility is far better than communities that dont have such things, and cost of flying and shipping goods is far more costly for an unsustainable place like whale cove
Whale Cove is home to both a secondary school and an Arctic College building,It is also the only community in all of Nunavut with a single store, which underscores the unique challenges we face. Like any other community, Whale Cove experiences its share of ups and downs, but for many, it remains home. While people have the option to relocate, moving residents to Rankin or other communities would only exacerbate existing pressures, such as housing shortages and other resource constraints.
“The only community in nunavut with a single store”
Uh no it’s not
Please do share and don’t hesitate to point out all other communities ups and downs.
While we are at it, schedule a visit to Whale Cove and do tell us from your own eyes the real story.
The whole world is an experiment for rich and poor… who is who.. and what they use ot not…how they react to the system…treating a town like a single human and ignoring the bases of needs is the same as a single being being studied at…..Can’t conquer…? Stop downing each other….just try to understand..