Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Kimmirut (Aug 14/00) - Kimmirut's history lies in the wake of boats.

From the qajaq to whaling boats to the C.D. Howe, a medical frigate, Kimmirut's coastal geographical setting has been tied to the sea and its vessels.

This history has inspired Kimmirut's version of a millennium project which is to be funded by the federal government's Millennium Fund, a $145-million treasure chest created to help develop community projects across Canada.

Kimmirut is set to receive $50,000 for the project, called Boats and Ships of Kimmirut.

"The project has three parts," said Robert Jaffray, the hamlet's community economic development officer.

The first part of the project, which began in the spring but was suspended for summer, focuses on building south Baffin qajaqs.

The majority of the building will be done by school children when school starts up this September.

The Royal Ontario Museum will be shipping up the oldest big island qajaq, dated around 1885.

"We'll be using the qajaq as a benchmark, a model to build by," said Jaffray.

The second part of the project will centre on the building or restoring of a whale boat.

"We hope to re-create a new 28-foot whale boat replica if we can," said Jaffray. "If not, we're looking at restoring one."

This part of the project will be done by local residents who are interested in aspects of ship building.

"Once it's restored or built, we'll use it as a display," said Jaffray.

The third part of the project will be in-depth research into the most important ships that have been part of Kimmirut's history; like the S.S. Arctic, the Hudson Bay Company's Naskopi freighter and the C.D. Howe medical frigate.

"All the research will be gathered and put into six-foot by five-foot interpretative displays," said Jaffray.

He hopes to set up the displays in a local heritage building or the historical building.

Kimmirut's millennium project is also supported by Nunavut's Department of Sustainable Development and the Department for Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.