Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Jul 15/98) - Rankin Inlet residents are getting excited about April 1, 1999.

Mayor John Hickes said the well-attended Nunavut Day festivities last week were an indication people are gearing up for the division of the territories.

"It's getting close and people are sensing that it's coming," he said. "It's showing here in the people -- it's more hope, more pride. They're sensing this is ours, it's for us."

Several hundred people turned out for the event, held on the shores of Williamson Lake on Thursday, the biggest turnout since Nunavut Day celebrations started in 1993, when the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement became Canadian legislation.

Hickes said that the Nunavut Leaders' Summit held in the community July 6 to 8 brought some awareness about the issue. More businesses also gave their beneficiary employees the day off this year to allow them to attend the events.

"It's the way it should be," he said.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. second vice-president Raymond Ningeocheak agrees that the event has grown over the years. He also said that the large number of visitors in town brought more people out to activities.

Residents even enjoyed a board game competition with Scrabble and cribbage inside the NTI offices to give people an opportunity to compete in games that are planned to continue next year at the April 1 celebrations.

While the day is meant for people to have fun, Ningeocheak said that it's also an opportunity for people to think about the celebrations to occur in 1999.

"The thing to remember is that when this happens, it's for everyone to celebrate in Canada," he said. "People should also think about how the celebrations in 1999 won't be for just one day."

And as residents gathered around a one-metre long cake marking the event, the smiling faces and laughter are only hints of the excitement expected to build over the next eight months before Nunavut becomes a reality.