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Around Iqaluit

October 8, 2004

Sinking floor delays arena opening

Iqaluit's Arctic Winter Games arena is closed indefinitely until the City can find a permanent way to fix the floor that is slowly sinking into the tundra.

The problem was first noticed last February. The city reacted by spending $85,000 injecting concrete into the foundation to shore up the end of the building.

By July, one end of the floor had sunk another seven inches, creating a slant that makes ice production impossible.

Compounding the problem was the discovery that some of the refrigeration pipes laid into the arena floor are well below the right depth to freeze and maintain ice. It appears that extra concrete was poured over one end of the floor after the pipes were laid, either to level the building at the construction stage, or inadvertently.

As a temporary solution, AMEC Earth and Environmental Consultants recently recommended installing a drain around the building, and doing yearly concrete injections at a cost of up to $100,000 a year.

City Council said no to the suggestion, and advised staff to look for a permanent solution.

In the meantime, the Arnaitok Complex, the old arena, is in full use and has a new schedule.

October 8, 2004

Loonie, toonie rummage sale

Saturday, October 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Parish Hall. GREC reunion committee fundraiser. Donations welcome.

October 8, 2004

Support group for suicide survivors

Saturday, October 9, 7:30 p.m., Parish Hall.

October 8, 2004

Shed and tent building workshops

Starting Tuesday, October 12, 1 p.m., Tukisigiarvik Centre.

October 8, 2004

Minor soccer at Aqsarniit Middle School

Wednesdays, October 13 to December 15, nine- and 10-year-olds play from 6 to 7 p.m.; 11- and 12-year-olds play from 7 to 8 p.m. On Mondays, October 18 to December 20, five- and six-year-olds play from 6 to 7 p.m. and seven- and eight-year-olds play from 7 to 8 p.m. Call 979-5617 to register.

October 8, 2004

CD release party at the Legion

Wednesday, October 13, 8:30 p.m., Michael Doyle celebrates the release of his new CD, "Keeping It Traditional," a mix of original and traditional Irish/Newfoundland music.

October 8, 2004

Upcoming Basketball Nunavut AGM

Saturday October 18 via conference call, 8 p.m. For details call Jeff Seeteenak at Sport Nunavut, 1-800-765-5506.

October 8, 2004

2nd annual D.A.R.E. Comedy Fundraiser

November 5 and 6, comedian David Bruce and special guest appearing at the Gallery Dining Room at the Frobisher Inn. Advance tickets available at the Bank of Montreal, $20.

October 1, 2004

Decisions, decisions, decisions

On Tuesday, Iqaluit city council also:

gave its last reading to by-laws on curbing noise in Iqaluit and regulating the city's taxi licenses;
approved survey sketches for some of the new building projects in Iqaluit, including Joamie School, the justice centre, the co-op hotel and store and hospital;
agreed to deposit $50,000 from the sale of membranes and other equipment in the sewage treatment plant to create a reserve account for the future cost of leased equipment;
announced the appointment of councillor Chris Wilson as councillor for Apex.

October 1, 2004

HTO building to go ahead

The new two-storey office building planned for the Amarok Hunters and Trappers Organization next to the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum building on Sinaa St. may go ahead, but with a few changes, city council decided at this week's meeting.

The council said the building needs to be closer to the road than proposed, even if this means losing a bit of floor space, although it did approve a variance on one metre to the minimum lot length frontage requirement of 35 metres.

The council also said nine parking spaces instead of required 10 would be acceptable for the new HTO building and store.

October 1, 2004

Booze-drug offences rise sharply in August

Sgt. Ed North told Iqaluit city council this past Tuesday that August was a "busy" month for members of the Iqaluit RCMP detachment.

There had been a "significant" rise in the number of calls dealing with drunkenness from this period last year, North said. This increase has upped demands on police in Iqaluit and caused the local detachment to ask for more officers.

Some 628 complaints were filed with the RCMP in August and nearly 200 people ended up in RCMP cells, for at least one night each. Not all, said North, were there for intoxication.

To date this year, the RCMP has dealt with 50 cases of public intoxication.

More booze is in the city, North said, because bootleggers are managing to bring in more legally-ordered alcohol.

RCMP are trying to clamp down on their practice of repeatedly using Nunavut alcohol permits with different outlets in the South.

Councillors expressed concern over the growing number of booze- and drug-related incidents taxing the RCMP's resources, but suggested more education on how to drink reasonably is needed.

"Trying to get more RCMP officers isn't all the answer," said councillor Annie Gordon.

October 1, 2004

IDEA welcomes new member

Mike Courtney has joined the Iqaluit District Education Authority and will serve a two-year term until the IDEA holds its next elections in 2006.

The seat became available last June when board member Kathy Smith resigned.

Courtney has been involved with Iqaluit youth for many years through community organizations such as the Pairivik Daycare and minor hockey. He works for the Government of Nunavut on special municipal projects.

The IDEA welcomed Courtney at their meeting in the Nakasuk School library on Monday.

October 1, 2004

Students aim for Greece and Italy

An Iqaluit student trip to Mexico next April has been changed to a student trip to Italy and Greece in April 2006.

Twenty-three Inuksuk students in Grades 8 to 12 had originally signed up for the trip.

Organizers Barb Young and Renata Solski made the destination change when they saw the new EF catalogue offering a 13-day tour to Italy and Greece for $4,360 per student. This trip cost $350 more than the tour to Mexico, but both felt that it provided better value, partly due to the recent hype over the Athens Olympics and partly because Grade 8 students at Inuksuk all study ancient civilizations.

The pair made the date change when they learned that EF, the company providing the 13-day tour, required all fees to be paid by December 15, 2004. Many of the 23 students who had signed up for the trip were unable to make the payments by that time.

"There are no kids who could not get a job to earn the money," Young told the Iqaluit District Education Authority on Monday, adding that the extra time will give more students a chance to come up with the funds.

October 1, 2004

IDEA eyes rental fees for funds

The Iqaluit District Education Authority is still debating what to do with money generated by renting school property.

Out of four schools in Iqaluit, Inuksuk High School raises the most money, largely because it is the only school with a commercial kitchen.

The IDEA wants to see all rental money go into a general improvement fund to be shared amongst all of Iqaluit's schools, at the discretion of IDEA members.

Otherwise, "the IDEA has no capacity to fix problems in the school," said Katherine Trumper, an IDEA board member.

The school principals, on the other hand, suggested that only a portion of the money go into an Iqaluit-wide fund, while the rest goes towards the school that is putting time, effort and labour into organizing and hosting renters.

"Our place is crawling day and night," said Inuksuk principal Terry Young.

The committee deferred further discussion of the subject until a second reading of the policy on school rental at their next meeting, October 18.

October 1, 2004