$25 million for infrastructure
Arenas, school playgrounds, arts centre and aquatic centre infused with cash from Ottawa
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, March 7, 2016
IQALUIT
Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo announced $25.62 million in federal infrastructure dollars for Nunavut at the legislative assembly in Iqaluit Feb. 29.
Community and Government Services Minister Joe Savikataaq welcomes more than $25 million in federal infrastructure funding announced by Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo in Iqaluit Feb. 29. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo |
Tootoo said the federal Liberal government knows the infrastructure deficit in Nunavut goes deep, adding, "We also know we need to invest in our communities."
Saying he hoped this would be the first of many such announcements, Tootoo outlined the details of where the funds will go. The planned Kenojuak Cultural Centre in Cape Dorset receives $2 million for an estimated $10-million project. The Cambridge Bay arena receives slightly more than $3 million for health- and safety-related repairs. And the third phase of the Iqaluit Aquatic Centre receives $4 million.
Two other injections of funds were directed to the Department of Community and Government Services (CGS) to upgrade arenas territory-wide with almost $15 million and to the Department of Education with more than $1 million to replace playground structures.
The Small Communities Fund requires the territorial government contribute 25 per cent of the cost of each project, or $6.54 million, to top up the federal contribution of 75 per cent.
"When we invest in Nunavut, we support long-term stability," said Premier Peter Taptuna, adding he would continue to advocate for large-scale projects in the territory.
The $1 billion Small Communities Fund, carved out from the New Building Canada Plan, is set up to support communities with fewer than 100,000 residents.
Community and Government Services Minister Joe Savikataaq spoke in the legislative assembly about the importance of investing in cultural and sports infrastructure.
"Community wellness depends on places where residents can gather to play games and share food," he said, adding these places are important for building relationships. He called it "building communities on the ground level."
Cape Dorset MLA David Joanasie told Nunavut News/North that a dedicated cultural space has been a point of discussion in that community since the early 1990s. Currently, as Joanasie explains it, the Cape Dorset artistic enterprise, long producing the highest caliber art, is split into several buildings.
Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson called the existing Cape Dorset artist studio space "a fire-trap" Feb. 25 in his response to the Speech from the Throne.
"This West Baffin community is renowned worldwide for its prints, graphics, carvings and other types of traditional Inuit art," stated Patterson. "It was home to acclaimed artist Kenojuak Ashevak and it is said that there are more artists per capita in Cape Dorset than anywhere else in Canada."
Joanasie says the facility is "really starting to become a reality" and the architectural design is already developed.
The facility is intended to be multi-purpose in nature.
"They plan to have a print shop, an exhibit area, space for cultural programming. In addition to that, there will be space to store artwork. And I believe there's a collection that needs to be brought back to Cape Dorset from the first generation of artists. It would tell the story of Cape Dorset art, how it's become so prominent," said Joanasie, adding that collection belongs in the community.
Private fundraising, thanks to prominent businessman and collector Paul Desmarais III, has already raised $2.1 million toward the project.
