Pictured, from left: Inukjuak Northern store manager Sandy Rourke, Lilly Mina and her son Bobby.

A family from Inukjuak, QC was thrilled to receive a snow blower as a gift from the community’s Northern Store, to help clear their son’s wheelchair ramp after heavy snowfalls.

The gift was arranged by Jennifer Gwilliam, who runs the non-profit organization Helping our Northern Neighbours, which assists families living in remote northern fly-in communities by matching them with other Canadians willing to sponsor them and send donations up north. Gwilliam heard that one of the families in Inukjauk she was helping had trouble clearing out the snow on their home’s ramp for their son Bobby, who uses a wheelchair due to a complicated medical situation, so he can go to school.  

Gwilliam reached out to The North West Company looking for help, and the Northern store at Inukjuak was happy to respond and grant the request as a donation. 

Upon hearing the news that Northern Store would donate a snowblower, Gwilliam wrote “Bobby is a sweet little boy and I have known him since he was small but it is often very difficult to help from such a distance”.

Gwilliam added, “This has been very heartwarming knowing the difference this will make in Bobby’s everyday life, especially in going to school. We are very happy and excited about making a difference!”