Ottawa/Iqaluit (Nov 08/04) - No country food, a lack of space to manoeuvre a wheelchair, a lack of Inuktitut/English interpreters and no prayers allowed.

Those were some of the complaints made against Larga Baffin in Ottawa during the Qikiqtani Inuit Association's Board of Directors meeting in Iqaluit, Oct. 28.

Larga Baffin is a boarding home for Nunavut residents who are sent to Ottawa for medical treatment.

'Never enough translators'

Timut Qamukaq from Hall Beach asked Joe Enook, vice-president of Nunasi Corporation Nunavut operations -- the company that owns Larga Baffin -- why there never seems to be enough translators at Larga Baffin when you need them.

Enook said he will investigate.

Joshua Kango of QIA brought up the prayer issue. Enook apologized on behalf of Larga Baffin.

"I apologize if you were told not to say a prayer," said Enook.

When it comes to religion, Larga Baffin is strictly non-denominational, said Trudy Metcalfe, general manager of Larga Baffin during a phone interview.

But she insisted "we don't stop people from praying."

Country food at the boarding home is an on-going challenge.

"We do have difficulty getting it," she said. "We work with the HTOs, but it depends on availability. Our issue is supply."

When it comes to wheelchair accessibility Metcalfe said "we meet all Ottawa safety codes."

Larga Baffin's capacity is 54 beds. Overflow -- last week they had 73 patients -- stay in hotels.

Larga One, the main dining area and kitchen, is completely wheelchair accessible and built to Ottawa codes. Larga Two, where the bedrooms are, is a newer addition -- completed in 2002 -- and Metcalfe admits that while it is wheelchair accessible, the hallways can be a bit cramped there.

The boarding home has 26 full-time employees and 10-12 of them speak Inuktitut and English, said Metcalfe. Translator/interpreters for the home are hired by Ottawa Health Services Network Inc.

Larga Baffin receives between 3,000 and 4,000 Baffin residents a year. Nunasi Corp. and Qikiqtaaluk Corp. built the residence in 2000 and oversee its operation.