John Thompson
Northern News Services

Arviat (June 15/05) - For someone in charge of leisure activities in Arviat, Nick Arnalukjuak doesn't have much spare time of his own.

Since taking on the job of recreation coordinator at the hamlet office's recreation complex he's been busy organizing upcoming events.

"My wife even told me, 'I lost my husband to the complex," he said with a laugh.

The 46-year-old was raised in the community, and there are many striking differences between recreation activities when he was growing and now.

He learned to swim from his older brother in the frigid waters of the Hudson's Bay and local lakes, which he says were filled with "little bugs and creepy crawly things."

Looking at the community's small swimming pool reminds him how much things have changed, although the bugs never deterred him.

"It didn't ever bother us," he said.

The recreation facilities provides staples like movies screenings, ping pong matches and bingo games throughout the week.

But bigger projects loom on the horizon, like the Kivilliq Inuit Games which Arviat will host this summer, and the annual music festival during the fall.

Committee members play an important role in sharing the responsibilities for these events, but he still has enough duties for himself to ensure he's always busy, he said. His staff at the recreation facilities also help take a lot of weight off his shoulders, he said.

"They're exceptional people," he said.

As he watches over community members playing sports, he's often reminded of how strong but reserved fellow Inuit are.

"Inuit don't like to show off their muscle power, but they're exceptionally strong."