Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 25/02) - Iqaluit residents can check out an almost-final map of Iqaluit's new street names next week.

After years of planning and public consultation, the street-naming bylaw passed first reading on Feb. 13. The new names should help emergency response teams find buildings and houses faster.

At a recent city council meeting, Coun. Simon Nattaq said the quality of some names still needs improvement. "This is very important to make sure we give a good representation of names," he said.

Mayor John Matthews said the city will hold a workshop to iron out problems before the bylaw passes second reading.

The workshop will take place after the map goes out. It is due to be published in city newspapers. The city's economic development officer, Cheri Kemp Kinnear, said the project should be finished by summer.

The street names are categorized by area into different themes, such as edible plants and berries, animals, and words about water and ice. The only non-Inuktitut names are names of explorers or significant community leaders.

Kinnear said the public seems to like the names. "People like the idea of themes and non-Inuit people can pronounce them."

Existing names like Ring Road, Federal Road and The Road to Nowhere remain unchanged.

After council passes the bylaw, the city can start assigning new house numbers. Every lot, including lots without buildings, will receive a number. Numbering should be finished by mid-May.

Without street names and signs, houses and buildings are a hodge-podge of numbers, with no logical order.

Once the numbering process is in place, Canada Post is planning to improve services. That could mean a second postbox location and parcel delivery.

Doug Wright, trainer at the Iqaluit post office, said Canada Post plans to improve services, but hasn't worked out the details.