Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IQALUIT
Parks Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary in style on the evening of July 23 in Iqaluit with a feast for the city's residents at the Anglican Parish Hall.

Iqaluit mayor Madeleine Redfern, when not helping serve food, found time to enjoy a piece of caribou at a feast held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada. - Terrence McEachern/NNSL photo

"We're the oldest national parks service in the world – established in 1911," said Garry Enns, external relations manager for Parks Canada in Iqaluit. "We view ourselves as leaders, have been leaders for 100 years and continue to be leaders."

"It's important to let people know the value of our parks and just to let them know they're out there," Enns added.

About 90 people enjoyed a feast of seal, beluga whale, maktaaq, caribou and Arctic char. Joshua Kango, chairman of the Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association in Iqaluit, took several minutes to demonstrate for the crowd the proper technique for cutting and preparing seal meat for the feast.

Enns said the choice of items on the menu is also reflective of an important theme for life in the north. "Part of it is 'what can you get,' and that is also an important lesson – that there aren't always things available."

The leftover food was shared and taken home by the guests, said Enns.

Iqaluit mayor Madeleine Redfern greeted the crowd and helped with the food service by cutting up char for some of the attendees. Afterwards, she explained the importance of national parks, both for the Nunavut economy by providing jobs and attracting tourists to the area, but also in her personal life. "Any opportunity I get to go out on the land, whether it's in the parks or not – I'm happy to take those opportunities," she said.

After the feast, the attendees played several games before the event, which began at 6 p.m., wrapped up at 9:30 p.m.

"We would consider the evening to have been a huge success for us at Parks Canada. There was a good turnout and a good cross-section of the community was there," said Enns.

The event was also an opportunity to welcome 16 participants in an upcoming summer institute offered by the Canadian Wildlife Federation in conjunction with Parks Canada and the Nunavut Research Institute. The summer program was held July 24-31, primarily in Iqaluit but with a visit to Pangnirtung on July 26.

Presently, Nunavut is home to four of Canada's 42 national parks -- Auyuittuq, Sirmilik, Quttinirpaaq and Ukkusiksalik.

Enns said what makes the national parks in Nunavut special are the diversity of plant and animal life as well as the geographic isolation and remoteness of the parks.

"Hard to get to – but amazing once you get there," he said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.