Pictured above: The Northern Store in Rigolet, NL.
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 Rigolet, NL are a testament to this commitment.
The town of Rigolet is nestled in a sheltered cove at the entrance to Lake Melville, on Hamilton Inlet. It is the oldest community along Labrador’s remote north coast, and is located 160km north east of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Rigolet is the most southerly Inuit community in the world, with a population of 305 residents (per 2016 Census, Statistics Canada) where approximately 5% of the population is non-Inuit. Although there is no road connection with other communities, the community can be accessed by plane through the Rigolet Airport, snowmobile trail during the winter or via coastal ferry from Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the summer.
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 Rigolet, with our Northern store employing 10 individuals. Our commitment to local talent is demonstrated through our workforce consisting of 80% Indigenous employees.*
2. Capital Investment: Northern has made a $562,433 capital investment in Rigolet store over a 10-year period.*
3. Annual Economic Impact: Northern is making a positive impact in Rigolet, with $420,711 annual economic impact in the community.*
Our Northern Store Relief Manager, Marcel Stringer, and his team are dedicated community supporters.
“When I first arrived to Rigolet back in 2007 as a 19-year-old graduate from Inuvik, NT, I was welcomed with opened arms and quickly realized that the mountains weren’t the only beautiful things this town had to offer. People are very kind and generous and more than willing to lend a helping hand in desperate times,” Stringer says. “Since the community is remote, people have to rely on each other during the frigid winter months in order to survive. Sports is a major past time in this community as a lot of the locals come together at the local gymnasium to play floor hockey and volleyball. Rigolet also boasts one of the longest boardwalks in the world. Upon returning here as a relief manager, the friendships I created in 2007 are as apparent today as they were then.”
*For the year ending 2019