Pictured above: The Northern store in Kimmirut, NU

Our Community Promise

The North West Company Inc. is proud of the active role we play within the communities we serve, striving to make a positive, progressive difference. Our contributions within the community of Kimmirut, NU, are a testament to our commitment.

Kimmirut is a traditional Inuit Hamlet in the Qikitaaluq Region, Nunavut. It is the southernmost community on Baffin Island, located across the Hudson Strait from the northern Quebec mainland and approximately 120 km southwest of Iqaluit. The community was incorporated as a hamlet in 1982 and was known as Lake Harbour until 1996. Kimmirut means “looks like a heel” in Inuktitut, and refers to a rocky outcrop in the inlet.

The community is home to over 400 residents (as per Kimmirut’s website) with 91% of them being Inuit – most who are descendants of ancient culture (Paleo-Eskimo and Pre-Dorset cultures) and preserve a traditional way of life including hunting, fishing, carving local soapstone and ivory, and jewelry making. Residents speak Inuktitut and English.

Kimmirut is a remote community accessible by air through Kimmirut Airport, with flights from Iqaluit and Ottawa. It can also be accessed by boat – ferry services are offered from July to September and it is annually supplied by sealift. During the winter, the community can be accessed overland from Iqaluit by snowmobile.

Did you know?

North West is proud of the positive impact we have on the community.

1. Employment: We are one of the most prominent employers in Kimmirut, with our Northern store employing 13 individuals. Our commitment to local talent is demonstrated through our workforce consisting of 77% Indigenous employees.*

2. Capital Investment: Northern has made a $902,132 capital investment in the Kimmirut store over a 10-year period.*

3. Annual Economic Impact: Northern is making a positive impact in Kimmirut, with $561,222 annual economic impact in the community.*

Kimmirut Northern Store Manager, Norma Budden, and her team are significant community supporters.

”Of the 29 years I've lived in the Arctic, I've lived in Kimmirut since March, 2020. It didn't take long for my family and I to feel a sense of 'home.' I love the scenery, my job, interacting with the people and the quiet lifestyle,” Budden says. “Each morning I look at those mountains, whether or not they are covered in snow, and I can’t help but feel I’ve been richly blessed.”

*For the year ending 2020