Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Nov 28/01) - When Myrna Michon takes her seat on a Dec. 16 flight, it will be the end of an era in Rankin Inlet.

Myrna Michon will be leaving next month after spending the past seven years in Rankin. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Michon has spent the past seven years in Rankin. Her time was spent equally between nursing at the health centre and serving as executive director of the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre.

While no one can minimize the importance of nursing, Michon's legacy was built during her time at the friendship centre.

When she became executive director, the centre employed three people to sponsor the drop-in centre, sell driver's licences and provide a victim assistance program.

"Three months after I arrived, we lost the licence contract to Piruqsaijit Ltd. and the hamlet decided it would sponsor the drop-in centre," says Michon.

"That was about as low as we could get, being left with only our victim assistance program."

That low was soon about to change into a flood of accomplishment.

Beginning with a work centre, the friendship centre began to add programs.

During the next three years, the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre built up to eight main programs (pre-natal nutrition, victim assistance, the seniors and disabled van, the school bus transportation service, early childhood development, library services, youth getting stronger and spousal abuse counselling).

The centre also delivers smaller programs, such as special student programs in the summer, the elders ice project in the winter and organizing workshops for various groups.

Michon says the hamlet now sees the friendship centre as providing services to the community.

"The centre was the original source for alcohol abuse counselling in Rankin and also hosted a phone-in help line. We address many more areas now and have become much more visible."

Today, the centre employs 14 people full-time and puts more than $325,000 in salaries into the community.

Starting with its prenatal program, the centre deals with children before they're born all the way through to the elders who use its van service.

"We're proud of the point we've grown to in the community. When you add our youth program and work centre, we cover a wide range of community services."

Please see next week's Kivalliq News for Michon's final goodbye.