Retail giant Walmart has released what it calls a “heartfelt video montage” to mark 30 years of operating in Yellowknife, its northernmost Canadian location.
In an accompanying press release, Walmart described its Yellowknife operation as “a small store with a big reach.”
The video features employees and customers outlining how the store helps northerners, such as by providing dog food for sled teams and providing a central shopping location for people from smaller communities.
Yellowknife deputy mayor Garett Cochrane makes an appearance, declaring: “You guys have been here for 30 years. You’ve been here when we’ve gone through us being a small mining town to becoming the urban centre of northern Canada.”
The video also borrows from one or two other locations.
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At the 30-second mark, stock footage of the Greenland municipality of Ilulissat inexplicably appears while a store employee discusses the length of Yellowknife’s winter and the rapid shift through spring, summer and fall.
That shot is followed by a mountainous landscape that isn’t readily identifiable but displays a skyline you won’t find near Yellowknife.
Another noteworthy appearance in the video shows Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart, at the 1:42 mark, attempting to set a record for best-dressed Yellowknife Walmart customer.
More: Watch the video on Walmart’s website
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By 11:30am on Tuesday, after this article was first published, Walmart had updated the video. The new version uses a wintry shot of Yellowknife where Greenland was previously featured, and appears to zoom in on the second shot to remove the mountains in the background. (The company’s PR agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the use of Greenland footage.)
Most of the video is devoted to the Yellowknife residents who work there.
“We are a small community store. We are very important to our territory as we’re the only Walmart that serves the whole Northwest Territories,” says Holly Webb, an assistant manager at the store.
“I got my PR from Walmart, so I’m here in Canada because of Walmart,” employee Amandeep Benning says, referring to his permanent residency, which can be gained with the help of an employer in Canada.
“Because of Walmart,” Cochrane concludes, “cupboards are less barren, electronics more readily available, holidays more joyful – all because of this store being situated in our small little city.”
