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Business Briefs

Guy Quenneville
Monday, July 7, 2008
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NEAS gets new vessel

Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) received its newest vessel, the MV Qamutik, on Canada Day.

At 137 m in length, the new vessel is an ice class 1, multi-purpose tweendecker that offers specialized cargo and advanced handling technologies.

The vessel will serve the eastern Arctic.

In March, NEAS, which has served the Kitikmeot region for years, added Kivalliq communities including Coral Harbour, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Arviat to its service roster.

Flush with complaints

Kivalliq region

Kivalliq Air began offering six-days-a-week service to Repulse Bay, Coral Harbour, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove and Arviat on April 1.

More recently, the airline spent $132,000 installing washrooms aboard its planes.

The first stab at washrooms - consisting of portable toilets and Velcro curtains - didn't go over well with passengers, prompting a redesign.

The new washrooms will be made of solid paneling and a locking door and should be ready within a week and half, according to John McFee, manager of operations.

- Darrell Greer

Record diamond found

at Gahcho Kue Project

Reliance

De Beers Canada extracted the largest single gem-quality diamond ever found in a Canadian drill-core sample at its Gahcho Kue advanced exploration project north of Reliance early last month.

The 25.13 carat diamond is worth about $440,000, according to Mountain Province Diamonds, De Beers' joint venture partner on the mine.

The previous record for a diamond was held by Tahera Diamond Corp., which found a 23.8-carat diamond eight years ago at its Jericho mine. Operations have ceased at the mine while a buyer is sought by the company, which has been under creditor protection since January.

Gunning for Home Hardware

Kinngait/Cape Dorset

Water guns are selling well at Home Hardware in Cape Dorset as the community enjoys warm summer days.

New co-manager Louise England, of central Newfoundland, made expanding the store's product line a priority when she took over the store a week and a half ago.

She was encouraged to move North by her son, who works at a Co-op store in Arviat.

Keeping cool

Radilih Koe'/Fort Good Hope

The manager of the Fort Good Hope Co-op is having a hard time keeping his cool - drinks, that is.

"It's tough keeping the cold stuff in our freezer, Gatorade and juice especially," said Dana Pippy. "I've had to place extra airlift orders."

Goods shipped by air normally arrive in a few weeks, he added.