Iqaluit (Sep 29/03) - Rotary has been on a roll in Iqaluit for 25 years, and long-time members say all the work has been worth it.

Beyond educational scholarships, and fun filled carnivals they hold each year, Rotary members are looking forward to seeing an expanded Apex park and a suspension bridge to Kimmirut.

News/North:Tell me how each of you became a Rotarian.

David Wilman: I joined Rotary in 1982. I was away from Iqaluit for a number of years in different communities, and I came back in 1980. I wanted to get involved in the community. I was interested in the things they were doing. I talked to a couple of people, and eventually Bill Collins invited me to a meeting. After that Bill proposed me -- you have to be proposed. After a few weeks I was made a member of the club.

Lyn Woodhouse: I've been a Rotarian now for about 10 years.

There was a time when they didn't allow women in the club. Then when women were encouraged to join I was proposed by a former member...

N/N: Sounds like marriage.

LW: It is a commitment. We have weekly meetings, we have fund-raising events. When you join you realize that you are encouraged to participate in all these different events. You're not a member in name only.

DW: You're expected to be there every week. Everyone is expected to become heavily involved so the club can be successful.

LW: The members we have are pretty active. Many hands make light work. (They currently have 38 members).

N/N: When I think of Rotary, actually, I think of the music festival.

DW: We don't have a music festival. Each club has their own projects they support. So I've sold tickets for Ski-doo draws, and I've done bingos, all kinds of things.

N/N: What brought each of you to the North, and how long have you lived here?

DW: I've lived in the North for 33 years now. I first came to Frobisher Bay as it was called then, as a teacher. My career was in education, and I retired three years ago. I was director of Nunavut Arctic College for several years.

LW: I first came North in 1971, in education also.

I had a brief sojourn in the south for six years, but I came back in 1985 to Iqaluit, and I've been the manager of Tittaq Office Products since 1989.

N/N: When I looked at the fax I got from Rotary last week (announcing their 25th anniversary), I was surprised by the number of things Rotarians are involved in.

DW: That's only a short list. It's an international organization. There are millions of Rotarians. Wherever we go, we can visit clubs in any country. In fact, we're expected to visit those clubs.

N/N: Really? So if you went to my hometown in St. John's, Newfoundland, you would be able to help out at a Rotary function?

LW: Oh yes. Sure.

DW: Absolutely. I've been to clubs in South America, Europe, Latvia.

N/N: What kinds of things did you do?

DW: I would be there on vacation. We actually had a big project in Peru that we sponsored.

Rotary is a service organization. We do all sorts of things.

There are the long-term projects you've seen, like the Arts and Cultural Centre (for Iqaluit) we're sponsoring, the bridge we're putting funding into, we also sponsor educational scholarships, the Scout and Guide group, the Iqaluit Music Society...we put about $70,000 a year into this community. That's what we commit.

N/N: Is being a Rotarian in Iqaluit, Nunavut extra challenging?

DW: You've got a limited audience from which to raise the funds. So it's hard work sometimes. Some people say it's almost like a second job.

N/N: Tell me about the 25th anniversary (held in Iqaluit Sept. 26-28).

DW: It's obviously important for us -- from a small club just starting, to one of the most successful Rotary clubs in our district (including Eastern Quebec, and into Maine and New Hampshire in the US).

We are the only Rotary club in Nunavut. For the anniversary some of the members from those clubs are coming up.

We started planning years ago to mark the 25th anniversary. We started setting aside funds. One of them was we would commit to another park development.

We did the one in Apex for our 20th anniversary. So we want to extend that, perhaps put more camping areas along the river. Then we heard two years ago that the Canada Trail Foundation were thinking of putting a bridge here, but needed funds. So we started working with them, and we have committed to helping build a bridge across the river (from Sylvia Grinnell Park to Kimmirut).

It was supposed to be open this week. But the military engineers got reassigned to Afghanistan, so it won't be built until next year.

LW: The preliminary work has been done.

DW: It'll open up the park area. You'll be able to walk across a suspension bridge to Kimmirut. It's not for vehicles.

It's for people who want to walk and hunt and camp. Right now you can only get around that area by boat.

N/N: Lyn, tell me about the Al Woodhouse Bursary.

LW: My husband was a Rotarian. He was a member of the executive of the club for many years, and when he died the Rotary Club in conjunction with Nunavut Arctic College (this was developed seven years ago) decided to have a bursary in his honour. It's for a student enroled in post-secondary education in science and math because that was his strength. He loved science and math. He taught science at the college. This year the award will be presented at our 25th anniversary banquet (held at the Discovery Lodge, Sept. 27).

N/N: Tell me about the Arts and Culture Centre you are planning for Iqaluit.

DW: That's for the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club in two years time.

N/N: Two years. That's pretty ambitious.

LW: We won't be doing it alone.

DW: We are negotiating funding through the federal government and through the city for this. We looked at what the community needed most, and we felt we wanted a place where people could go and refine their crafts, their skills. We're not looking at this for the performing arts where you go and listen to an opera. We're looking at this as a place where you go and practise. It's for the local dance groups, the seamstresses, and the youth groups, sometimes performing, obviously.

N/N: Why is Rotary always so involved in music and things of that nature?

DW: You value everyone's professions and skills. In terms of vocational service and community service you want people in the community to develop skills so they can become self reliant, so they can perform. If we have a place for young people to develop their skills it will be a beautiful centre.