Shipping issues leave greenhouses destined for Arctic communities stuck in Inuvik

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

The executive director of Inuvik's community greenhouse says apair of greenhouses destined for Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktokremain stuck in Inuvik, and that the shipper has refused to acknowledge its mistake.

This summer, both communities were set to receive geodesic dome greenhouses, purchased by the territorial government. The greenhouses would be the first of their kind in the communities, and"are more suited to operating longer in the year they are much more suited tothe Arctic," according to Ray Solotki, the Inuvik Community Greenhouse's executive director.

The greenhouses were ordered from the closest location possibleKingDomeInc Greenhouses, in the United States and cost $11,000 each, with a large portion of the cost forshipping.

All seemed to be in place until last week,whenSolotki received a phone call from Tuktoyaktuk, telling her the greenhouse had not arrived.

"I received a shipping notification that they are there," she said."They are in Inuvik, and they are stuck in Manitoulin [Transport, a shipping company].

• A growing business: Yukon retiree's northern greenhouses a hot seller
• OPINION|The obsession with hydroponics and indoor growing damages northern food security
• A stand-up solution? Indoor farm walls touted in Inuvik, N.W.T.
• Inuvik's greenhouse latest victim in string of break-and-enters

"We paid for them to go to Ulu [Ulukhaktok], we paid for them to go to Tuk, and now they are in Inuvik," she said."They weigh a thousand pounds. This isn't something we can just magically get to the communities."

Solotkisays that the freight transportation company they used,Saia, wouldn'tanswer phone calls from eitherSolotkior the supplier afterthey found out how much it would cost to fly the greenhouses to the communities.

"They actually have told the seller that they don't believe it's not where it's supposed to be, and how do they have proof it's not in Ulu and Tuk," saidSolotki.

"It's now the middle of August and the barges to Ulukhaktok have already left. We can't put them on a road to Ulu, and for us to put them on a plane, it's now $3,700 to ship."

Solotkisaid that the greenhouse destined for Tuktoyaktuk will be placed on the last barge of the season, which leaves next Monday. The greenhouse will then attempt to bill the shipper. She's still unsure how the other greenhouse will make it to Ulukhaktok.

"The American transportation company should be covering, because that's what they quoted us," she said."So now it's a case of who pays for it.

"It feels like there are these roadblocks that keep coming up for something that should be such a positive and community-oriented situation. There's got tobe some sort of solution. This isn't our field. We all just feel a little bit lost."

CBC News attempted to contact Saiafor this story, but did not receive a response.