Sachs Harbour Co-op In Need of Manager

the Ikahuk Co-op has not had a manager ever since last summer. In the meantime, Joey Carpenter, president of the Co-op’s board has been doing his best to fill in, working six days a week. When I saw Joey, he was scrubbing the walls of the Co-op with a bucket of soapy water. e arlier in the day, he had thrown out produce that had gone bad in the refrigerator: shriveled broccoli, and the pitch-black bananas sitting on two shelves.

“ I am trying to just keep it going,” he said. His facial expression is both resigned yet hopeful. “Everybody who uses the Co-op is a shareholder of the Co-op.” t he Co-op is the only commercial source of frozen meats, produce and household supplies for residents of s achs Harbour. m any residents are complaining about the disruption in service. t here have been periods of up to three weeks where either produce or meat has been unavailable in the store. b esides the meat harvested through subsistence hunting, alternative food resources have to be flown in from Inuvik, costing an arm and a leg for freight. b ulk supplies and food are barged in during the summer months, and since the Co-op has already run out of many key household necessities, the people of s achs Harbour will have to make do until another barge arrives this a ugust.

For Joey, this is a labour of love. “Why do I want to? I only gets paid $40 for each board meeting I sit on, it’s definitely not for money.” Joey is inexperienced with computer related tasks, and is thankful Charlie Haogak (store assistant) tries to help. s till, understaffing has caused the Co-op to face challenges such as disrupted food supplies.

In the meantime, Joey urges his fellow residents to do what they can. “It’s in the best interest of everyone to pay their Co-op bills every month. a ny cooperation we can get will be great,” he said. a new security lock needs to be installed on the Co-op’s main door before another manager can be brought in, and Joey is seeking people in s achs Harbour who have mechanical skills to help.

“s ally e sau, our former assistant manager will be back in town soon. s he had left to have a baby. s he was really good, I hope she can come back to work soon,” said Joey Carpenter.