Locals come to the rescue after shipping fiasco waylays greenhouses in Inuvik

A shipping fiasco has ended harmoniously with an Inuvik town councillor and a local business stepping up to help get two geodesic dome greenhouse structures to their final destination in Ulukhaktok and Tuktoyaktuk.

The greenhouses were ordered by the Inuvik Community Greenhouse as an ideal solution for gardening in the two communitiesbut they never made it past Inuvik.

The greenhouse's executive director, Ray Solotki, said she paid for shipping to both communities, and that the company that was supposed to ship them has refused to acknowledge the mistake.

Solotki estimated it would cost $3,700 to fly one of the 1,000-pound items to its intended destination.

But it didn't come to that.

"I thought there was something I could do to help them and I made arrangements to do it," said Vince Sharpe, an Inuvik town councillor and local businessman.

"We'll ship it off on the boat, I've got a boat coming here. We are doing work in Tuk right now. So, we are shipping materials so whatever we are light, we will just throw it on there. No charge to them. Everything is free."

The GNWT Marine Transportation Service also reached out, saying they've found room on a barge to Ulukhaktok and are able to transport it on Friday at a low cost.