For those of you in the Prince Rupert area with more dirty clothes than time, there is a local business ready to handle all of your laundry needs. It’s called Rinse Rupert Laundry, formerly known as Mommy’s Laundry.
Located at 217 – 6th Street (between Third and Second Avenues West), Rinse Rupert features new washers and dryers…heck, new everything. They also provide a drop-off service where staff will wash, dry, fold, and bag your laundry while you focus on doing other things such as errands, chores at home, visiting friends and family, or enjoying yourself.
As part of Gitga’at Development Corporation’s (GDC’s) ongoing economic development efforts, some members are employed in the trades and have plenty of dirty clothes that need attention. Whether it’s members working on fishing boats during the summer, infrastructure projects year-round, or shift workers in town, Rinse Rupert provides a valuable service to the surrounding community.
A Great Space For a Laundry Facility
Previous to the launch of Rinse Rupert Laundry, GDC bought the commercial building the laundry is situated in. The purchase was made to enable Gitga’at First Nation to create a community space for Gitga’at members in Prince Rupert that could also function as a commercial hub to incubate businesses such as the laundromat.
Gitga’at Properties is the arm of GDC that handles commercial property transactions on behalf of the Nation. GP purchased the 10,000 square foot building to house the Prince Rupert Council Chambers for GFN’s Chief and Council and the offices of the development corporation, a restaurant, and Rinse Rupert Laundry. Additionally, the building features about 5,000 square feet of office and meeting/training space.
A Building For Services
The main purpose of the building purchase is to enable the nation to conduct business while serving its members who live in Prince Rupert. Up to 2/3 of Gitga’at members live in the Prince Rupert area, and until the Nation acquired this building members had to travel back to Txalgiu (Hartley Bay) to access training, cultural, and economic development services provided by the band council. Now, those members will only have to walk a few blocks to the Gitga’at First Nation’s Development Corporation, Treaty Office, and Employment and Training Centre, and (soon) an Elder’s Resource Centre.
The building is the first commercial property purchased by the Gitga’at Development Corporation. As Gitga’at councilor Cameron Hill stated: “We’ve been here for thousands of years and aren’t going anywhere. This building allows us to have a place that is a good, solid real estate investment.”
Proudly GFN Owned and Operated
Rinse Rupert Laundry is one of the many GFN-owned and operated businesses in Prince Rupert and the Hartley Bay area. Having a building dedicated to serving the needs of the community and offering them space for training and skill development hopefully leads to more great businesses, like Rinse Rupert, opening their doors to local, national, or even international, customers…Welcome back cruise ships!