Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 30/02) - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will have a busy three hours in Iqaluit to kick off their 11-day visit to Canada.

Best Viewing Points The best viewing points to see the motorcade are: - Along the route from the airport to the legislative assembly - Along Ring Road to and from Inuksuk high school The best viewing points to see the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are: - At the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut - Along the stretch of Federal Road between the Assembly and Four Corners - At the Sculpture Garden. Several roads will be closed during the visit and barriers will be erected. Public access areas will be clearly identified.

The royal plane is scheduled to touch down at Iqaluit Airport around noon Friday.

There to greet them will be, among others, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson, federal Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, Nunavut MLA Nancy Karetak-Lindell and Iqaluit Mayor John Matthews.

From the airport, the royal motorcade will travel from the airport the legislative assembly of Nunavut via Airport Road. The motorcade will turn left at the Royal Canadian Legion and right at the Francophone Centre.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien and a 30-member guard made up of Rangers and Junior Rangers from across Nunavut will meet the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at the Legislative Assembly.

Also at the legislature will be Commissioner Peter Irniq and Premier Paul Okalik. Suqqait, a choir of elders from Pangnirtung, will perform a traditional welcome song.

Following this ceremony, the Queen will walk along Federal Road to the Four Corners.

She will get back in her car and the motorcade will proceed around Ring Road (past NorthMart, Arctic Ventures and the Baffin Hospital) to Inuksuk high school.

From the high school, the motorcade will travel to the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association Sculpture Garden, located at the Nunavut Arctic College, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh meet artists and view the works of several sculptors. After leaving the Sculpture Garden, the royals will travel to the airport.

Their flight is expected to take off at about 2:45 p.m.