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Inuksuk High School gets royal clean-up

Iqaluit’s high school a frenzy of activity this week

Teachers and students were hard at work Tuesday preparing for the Queen’s visit.

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(PHOTO BY MIRIAM HILL)

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MIRIAM HILL

The halls of Inuksuk High School bustled with activity Tuesday afternoon as workmen knelt in the tisi, or central area of the first floor, repairing tiles removed from the ceiling and cleaners pushed wide brooms across the floor.

Inside the gymnasium, teachers Nick Newbery and Colleen Walsh talk to Principal Terry Young as a small group of students finish setting up rows of white folding chairs around a central open area.

The frenzied activity can be chalked up to the upcoming visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

The royal couple will spend two and a half hours in the capital city, including a trip to the high school. While the Queen will spend almost 20 minutes in the tisi with elders, the prince will present Duke of Edinburgh’s awards in the cafeteria.

The couple will meet again in the gymnasium, where they will watch a demonstration of Arctic sports before departing for the next stop on their tour.

Principal Terry Young said the school would be in top shape for the visit.

"It looks a little dusty right now because of so much traffic going through for renovations and so on, but that’s just layers of dust," he said. "It will look great. Tomorrow and Thursday it will be all touched up."

The glossy gymnasium floor, for example, was recently redone. It’s a job that is done almost every year out of necessity, he said, because of the dirt and rocks brought in by community users.

"Basically it’s been resurfaced and rewaxed but it’s a very expensive job, like over $20,000," he said.

The ceiling tiles in the tisi were replaced with shiny silver ones and the area was repainted, as was the outside of the school.

The cafeteria was also re-floored, Young said.

Glenn Higgins, facilities manager with the Nunavut department of public works, said the work done to the school is just regular maintenance.

The cafeteria floor was damaged in a flood last year, he explained, and ceiling tiles were due for replacement as well. He wouldn’t estimate how much the repairs cost, because he hadn’t received all the invoices.

Young said while work was still going on in the school, it would all be tidied up and complete by Friday.

"We’re going to have a clean-up day involving all the students. They’ll go out and get all the garbage, all the cigarette butts and so on," Young said.

After the gym is set up, risers need to be put in place for the Arctic sports demonstration and the area for the media and the Queen’s entourage needs to be established.

High school students will be at the school Friday afternoon to watch the proceedings along with some students from other schools, but the public will have to make do with royal watching during the scheduled walk-abouts.

"If we have extra seating we’ll take extra kids from other schools," Young said. "Our priority is the kids in the community."

Young, who has never met the Queen before, said it’s exciting to have her visit the school, even if one isn’t a staunch monarchist.

"This is probably one of the most famous people in the world, male or female," he said.

"All I’m going to say is ‘Good day,’ and I’m sure if she has a question she’ll ask me. The only thing we’ve been told is if she wants to shake your hand she’ll offer first, but don’t you offer."

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