This is the fourth installment in a multi-part series on the tourism sector in Nunavut post-pandemic.

On the morning of Thursday, August 10, Nunavut Brewing Company general manager Jason Oldham welcomed a group of customers who had just disembarked a cruise ship that was docked in Iqaluit.

Such a thing would have been unthinkable during the pandemic, when tourists vanished from the city and wider Nunavut completely.

SA国际影视传媒淚t seems like a lot of tourists are stopping by, or people from out of town at least,SA国际影视传媒� Oldham said. SA国际影视传媒淏usiness is bouncing back. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e recovering, and weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking forward to hopefully a much better few years coming up with no shut-downs.SA国际影视传媒�

Oldham joined Nunavut Brewing Company, nicknamed NuBrew, in September 2020, right around the time that the first lockdown of the pandemic ended.

The end of that initial lockdown saw a small amount of local customers return to the NuBrew taproom, which Oldham said is responsible for at least 50 per cent of the companySA国际影视传媒檚 business.

Still, the business was hindered by strict restrictions on capacity, and continued to struggle with similar rules for the remainder of the crisis.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was good to get people back in, but there were no tourists, and on top of that, we were limited to capacity with closures throughout,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e were closed for two or three months for three years in a row with no taproom revenue coming in.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚t was hard.SA国际影视传媒�

NuBrew made it through the pandemic, and did so without having to make significant layoffs.

Oldham credits the financial support programs that were available through the territorial and federal governments for the businessSA国际影视传媒� survival.

SA国际影视传媒淲e were able to take advantage of some of the relief funding that was available,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to lay people off, so we used that money to help cover wages for people we had on full time, and help some of the operating costs that we had.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚t would have been nice to see more [funding], but it was helpful, the funding that we did get. If we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have that funding source, the brewery probably would have been nonexistent at this point.SA国际影视传媒�

NuBrew was not the only business in IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 food and beverage sector to suffer during the pandemic.

The Chartroom Lounge, the citySA国际影视传媒檚 only sports bar, also saw a big drop-off in business as tourists and visitors from other Nunavut communities disappeared.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檇 say about a quarter of our business is from out of townSA国际影视传媒攊f not more,SA国际影视传媒� he said Josh Dickson, the barSA国际影视传媒檚 general manager . SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of people from small communities love coming to The Chartroom.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was very difficult,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淲e were shut down for months on end. I lost a lot of good staff due them not being able to work.

SA国际影视传媒淥nce we did open, only being able to open to 25 per cent capacity, and all the Covid restrictions and stuff made it really tough.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒楽it and wait and praySA国际影视传媒�

The Chatroom did not receive much in the way of relief funding from the Government of Nunavut or Canada, according to Dickson.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was kind of just sit and wait and pray that we were able to re-open,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 definitely would have liked to see something [in terms of funding].SA国际影视传媒�

Things got so bleak, he said, that the owners briefly debated closing the bar downSA国际影视传媒攋ust a few years after its 2019 opening.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was considered, but at the same time, a little money is better than no money,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e were able to least keep our head above water when we were open, and it gave the patrons something to look forward to. When the restrictions did lift, they did have that reassurance that we would be open.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was very crippling,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淭rying to establish your brand and establish your name in town, and then to have this happen, it definitely hindered what we were trying to do.SA国际影视传媒�

The good news for Oldham and The Chartroom is that business is bouncing backSA国际影视传媒攅ven if itSA国际影视传媒檚 yet to return to previous levels.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely coming back,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely slower than it was pre-pandemic.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e drawing larger crowds. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 really nice to see.SA国际影视传媒�

With the pandemic behind us, and visitors returning, IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 food and beverage industry has recovered enough that new businesses have begun to open.

One such business is Perrault Food Truck, a popular, rolling restaurant that serves burgers, hotdogs, and a popular buffalo chicken poutine, among other things.

Mathieu Perrault, one of the three owners of the truck, which opened last August and operates in the summer months, gave a positive assessment of the citySA国际影视传媒檚 food and beverage industry.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople are getting to know us and the food more and more, especially on the sunny days,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Perrault could not provide firm numbers as to how much of his business comes from out of town, but said he would love to see the municipal and territorial governments do as much as they can to attract tourists to the city.

More visitors, after all, means more potential business.

SA国际影视传媒淥f course,SA国际影视传媒� he said when asked if heSA国际影视传媒檇 like to see more tourists in his queue. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e set up for a line-up all day long. If the line-up doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 stop, weSA国际影视传媒檙e happy with that.SA国际影视传媒�