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IQALUIT - When the going gets tough, the tough hire clowns.

Charlene Sailani Sharma Villanuver is in the late stages of opening a new nonprofit daycare in the Nunavut capital. Teddy Land Daycare is scheduled to open in mid-April.

Richard Itkilik shows his mom Jolese Itkilik the prize he won from being onstage with Doo Doo the clown during a fundraiser for the new Teddy Land Daycare on Mar. 6 at Nakasuk school in Iqaluit. - Carolyn Sloan/NNSL photos

"I knew in my heart that a daycare was important in this town," she said. "We found a building and in order to run it we needed funds."

So Villanuver contacted The Treehouse Clowns, a professional group of Ontario-based, costumed children's entertainers who appear on television, film and on international stages.

"The clowns said 'OK, fine,'" Villanuver said.

Doo Doo the International Clown, who appeared alongside Adam Sandler in the Hollywood film Billy Madison, JoJo the World Famous Balloon Clown and family magician Stephen the South African Terror flew up to Iqaluit earlier this month. They performed for families at Nakasuk school on March 6 to raise money for the new daycare space.

Families packed into the gym. JoJo tied more than 600 balloons. A sea of children sporting enormous multi-coloured balloon hats crouched close to the stage for the clown's show.

Doo Doo invited some of the children and their parents on stage to help with his show. A big box of prizes was distributed, as well.

"This is giving back to the community, especially to the children who are our future," Villanuver said.

The event raised $3,000. Support for the new daycare, which gained charitable status last month, does not end there, she added.

An Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador-based organization called the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Adult Victimization pledged to donate furniture, appliances and educational materials to the daycare. Iqaluit residents have also chipped in with donations of building materials.

Villanuver said the new daycare will be eco-friendly, using children's imaginations instead of plastic toys mass-produced in China. Villanuver plans to use her dance background to introduce movement, songs, dress-up and games to help the children entertain themselves while learning their shapes, colours, ABCs and 1-2-3s.

"I'm trying to bring their own creativity out," she said. "This daycare is going back to basics."

Villanuver moved to Iqaluit about two years ago. Born in Singapore, she is of Indonesian, Chinese, Portuguese and East Indian-Portuguese descent. She said she will introduce multicultural education to the children to broaden their young perspective of the world.

The daycare will employ three daycare teachers and will serve 20 students.

The Treehouse Clowns' agent back in Ontario, John York, said the trio of entertainers are still talking about their Northern experience.

"These are city folk, performers who travel from city to city and from resort to resort around the world," he said, adding Doo Doo has upcoming gigs in Winnipeg, the UK and Saudi Arabia. "The three of them said the kids were phenomenal. They didn't want to get off the stage. It sounds like they feel like ambassadors to Iqaluit. That's all they talk about – Ski-Doos and amauti. They want to go back."

with files from Carolyn Sloan