Rooms dedicated to late Wainman brothers
Children First Centre honours Wainman family and Northwind Industries for support
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 6, 2017
INUVIK
Two rooms in the Children First Centre have new names now, honouring the support the Wainman family and Northwind Industries Ltd. provided in helping to take the facility from idea to reality.
Peter Clarkson, chair of the Children First Centre building committee, talks about the long and pricey history in bringing the facility into reality. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
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The centre's gym is now known as Papa Ray's Room, after the late Ray Wainman.
The infant area is now called Uncle Ron's Room, named after Ray's brother, the late Ron Wainman.
Kurt, Corey and Raymond Wainman, three sons of Ray, were on hand during the room dedication ceremony Thursday, March 30.
Peter Clarkson, chair of the building committee for the centre, said building the Children First Centre was the largest capital project a non-government group has ever done in the territory.
"I gained a lot of respect for Kurt and Corey and everybody else who contributed (during construction of the Children First Centre)," he said.
"It really was a labour of love. It took a huge effort and a lot of fundraising."
Northwind Industries donated more than $300,000 in labour and materials to bring the project to life.
"Without this community, the support of people like Kurt and the support of Corey - because Corey did all the surveying and didn't charge anybody anything - without that kind of help that we had at that time and the overall community support and then the town council support, this project would have never got completed," said Clarkson.
It was a huge challenge, and Clarkson joked that Kurt must have been getting tired of seeing his phone number on caller ID looking for more help.
"It really was a full effort and I have to admit I gave a lot of respect to all of them and all the work they put in," he said.
Cash and in-kind donations from individuals and local businesses provided over $1.7 million in total toward the project.
'A big supporter'
"It's no surprise to anybody who lives in this town that Kurt has been a big supporter of Children First," said Mike Harlow, co-chair of the Children First Society board.
"You're the kind of guy in this town who, when it comes to kids, (we) can rely on you," he continued, pointing to donations, sports jerseys and other ways Kurt has supported children in the community.
Patricia Davison, executive director of the centre, said taking the project from idea to completion was a long, hard journey.
"It started in 1999 and Kurt and Northwind Industries has been there pretty much for the whole ride, everything from the first piling to assisting with the playground and the parking lot just this fall, and many things in between," she said.
Kurt said he was proud to help build the facility before unveiling the plaques dedicated to his father and uncle.
Plaque descriptions
Papa Ray's Room: When Howard Wainman moved North in 1961 with his family to work for the Northern Canada Power Corporation, little did he know that the Wainman family roots would grow strong here in Inuvik, NWT.
Ray James Wainman (Papa Ray), a young boy of seven years old, and his sister Sharon and brother Ron moved North to Inuvik when his father, Howard, came North to work for the Northern Canada Power Corporation in 1961.
Ray attended Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and went on to work for NorthStar Construction at the gas station before moving into operating heavy equipment and driving truck.
Ray met a local girl, Gloria Allen, and married in 1971. They began raising a family with their first son Kurt, followed by Corey and Raymond. His sons continue to live and work and raise their families here in Inuvik.
Ray worked in a number of companies: Northstar Construction, Industrial Expediting, Dome Petroleum, Rowe's, the Government of the Northwest Territories and finally with Northwind Industries Ltd. in the Inuvik region. The last work Ray was involved with was the start of the Inuvik-Tuk Highway, which was being built by his older son's (Kurt) company Northwind.
Ray was also a member of the McInnes Royal Canadian Legion Branch 220 for 35 years. Papa Ray would be proud to see that his grandchildren and great grandchildren have a place to learn and play safe.
Uncle Ron's Room: Ron, older brother of Ray, came to Inuvik as part of the family's move North in 1961, then travelled to Yellowknife to attend Sir John High School.
He then joined the Canadian Air Force Service when he turned 18 years old and served for five and a half years.
After retiring from the Canadian Air Force, he worked in southern Canada driving truck across Canada until returning back North to Inuvik in 1983.
Ron met a local girl by the name of Abby in 1984 and they were married in 1986.
He worked for a number of companies here in Inuvik: NorthStar, Vanbuskurk and the Town of Inuvik Works Department, before joining Northwind Industries.
Ron was a member of the McInnes Royal Canadian Legion Branch 220 for 29 years.
