Iqaluit bids farewell to popular one-stop shop for Nunavummiut

A nut here, a bolt there, that specific swath of fabric — Nunavummiut are bidding farewell to Iqaluit's popular one-stop shop for hardware, electronics repair and sewing supplies near the airport.

John and Sue Coogan have owned Baffin Electronics for 19 years. Tomorrow, they are retiring.

John started his business out of necessity — people would bring him their electronics for repair, which he would do out of a bedroom in his home.

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Baffin Electronics grew into a hardware store in 2003 and then morphed again, in 2005.

"It was the ladies who came down and gave us the little samples: 'can you get this, can you get that?'" said John Coogan of how his business would eventually expand to also sell hardware, fabric and sewing supplies.

"Before you know it the ladies sort of … took over. Kicked me out of my service centre."

Coogan said over time, the repair aspect of his business started to change too. People started bringing in more sewing machines and fewer small appliances. These days, he says he'll repair as many as 100 sewing machines a year.

Baffin Electronics is located near the airport, a convenient first stop, or last stop for people visiting from communities. It's a place Nunavummiut can go to pick up things they can't get back home.

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John said he's going to be missed, because he's always been willing to cater to exactly what people need.

"For instance, an elder, instead of buying a box of bolts down the street, he can buy one bolt, one nut, one washer, if he needs it," he said.

The decision to retire was bittersweet, especially considering John and Sue have had the opportunity to watch families grow up.

John recalled one customer who recently told him she remembers back when his shop was located downtown, when she was in high school.

"Now she's got her own family," he said.

The Coogans are getting ready to move to Nova Scotia in November. Sue will work on quilts and John will tinker on motorcycles.

The fabric side of Baffin Electronics has been sold to new owners, but the couple can't say when it will reopen.

With files from Meagan Deuling