Joanasie Eegeesiak
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Mar 15/99) - Iqaluit's youth group wants to open a youth centre.

"We're trying to start a youth centre for Iqaluit youth because the mall is just not the right place to hang out," said Miali Coley, one of two newly-hired youth co-ordinator trainees in Iqaluit.

The trainees are trying to get students and non-students involved in organizing a youth centre and right now, they're in the process of writing up a proposal to help them find the space.

"The youth group was started when we first got the job. Miali and I, we asked various students to come and form a youth group, just to get ideas on what they thought they needed in a youth centre, how we would organize a youth centre and how we would run a youth centre," said Daniel Martel, Coley's co-worker.

Right now, the Grind & Brew has offered to let the youth meet there during the evenings. This may happen as soon as mid-April.

"There has never been an organized youth group in Iqaluit and there were always conflicts starting at the youth centre for some reason," said Martel.

Now that there is a commitment from the youth around Iqaluit who do want to start up a youth centre, the pair said it looked as if it would definitely go ahead.

"Hopefully we'll be heard more and our ideas will be put into action. By forming a youth group, people will know who we are, what we want and that our ideas are important," said Coley.

"We really need a place to hang out soon because there are no places to talk to other students or other youth around Iqaluit," said Martel.