Iqaluit (Dec 08/03) - Sports enthusiast Joel Fortier was recently recognized for his volunteering with the youth centre in Iqaluit.

Joel Fortier - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

News/North: When did you first get involved as a volunteer with youth in Iqaluit?

Joel Fortier: I started when they opened the youth centre in Iqaluit two years ago. I heard they needed people to represent the youth. I signed up, me and a few of my friends. We got to decide a lot of things. It's easy for teens to know what teens want.

N/N: What were some of the issues that came up that you guys on the youth council had to deal with when the youth centre opened?

JF: How to deal with kids who wouldn't go to school, and if they were allowed to go to the youth centre. Or issues like drugs and alcohol. We started programs to deal with that. We're trying to keep the youth council clean. If you want to go to the youth centre you have to be good.

N/N: How is the youth centre doing these days?

JF: It's getting a lot better. As it goes, we get more pictures on the walls, more and more stuff. It's always full every time I go there. Very active. Pool. Ping pong. TV. There are snacks. Cooking program. People are learning how to cook.

N/N: How much time do you put into it?

JF: Youth council gets together once every two weeks. We also watch around the school, ask questions. Set up dances to raise money for the youth centre. Right now there are five people on youth council (helped by City of Iqaluit youth co-ordinator Amy Elgersma). I'm the treasurer. I've been there the longest: two years. But we do everything.

Last year we got a huge donation from the Royal Bank. I believe it was $15,000. We bought furniture. That's also how we started the cooking program. And the snack program for kids that don't have snacks at home. And we do fundraising for dances.

N/N: How many youth use the youth centre every week?

JF: Every day there are about 40 kids that pass through, ages 13-18. And on Saturdays younger kids come out, from about ages 9-12.

The activities in there are mainly for teens. Sports related. Computers and stuff. (Located in the Arctic Winter Games Arena).

N/N: Why is it important for youth in Iqaluit to have a place to go?

JF: Sometimes we just need somewhere to chill out I guess. Or just forget about other people. Like, I don't go there with my friends. I just go by myself. Sometimes they don't want to go there. I just go there, talk to new people.

N/N: When did you find out about the volunteer award and what did you think?

JF: I found out afterwards. It was weird. I got called about a reception for volunteers, and I was told I was being recognized. But it was during volleyball and we were having territorials so I couldn't go.

N/N: Have you received an award like that before?

JF: Not for community volunteering. There are lots of people who help out in town. I guess they picked me.

N/N: Did you grow up here in the city?

JF: Since I was one year old, yes. I'm 17 now. I'm in Grade 12, graduating. Next year I want to go to McGill and study economics.

N/N: Was there ever a time when you were working with youth and you felt like, "This is really hard, I don't want to do this anymore?"

JF: Not really. I'm learning from it. I'm learning a new language. I've been learning Inuktitut for the last few years. It's really cool. If you hang out with different people you get to learn a lot of new things.

N/N: How's your Inuktitut coming along? Do you feel good about it?

JF: I do. It's not based on any language. So it's more memorization of key words. I can ask questions and stuff. I understand the basics I guess.

N/N: When you leave, are there people coming up that do the kinds of things you do?

JF: A few people on the council are younger than me. And people at the youth centre want to help out. They watch our meetings, they want to help, so there are a few kids who want to do it in the future.

N/N: Is there anything the youth centre needs? Do you have a wish list?

JF: We have that new skate park opening this summer. We pushed hard for that. That's pretty good. But it's only for summer. Maybe a facility for that. But that would be very expensive. And I guess dance equipment. Lights, an amplifier, turntables. Most of the time we rent.

One of the most popular activities for teens is dances.

N/N: What kind of personality do you need to work with kids?

JF: Very outgoing. Be patient. Some kids get very excited. Patience is one of the big ones. And I guess learning how to watch people and recognize what people want.

N/N: Did it ever feel like a job?

JF: No. It was never like that. I like doing it. It's really fun. You know you're helping people.

N/N: Do you have a favourite activity at the youth centre?

JF: Fooze ball. We've had it there about a year and a half. Someone gave it to us. A lot of stuff in there is donations.

N/N: People should keep that in mind. To make donations. How can people make donations to the youth centre?

JF: Contact the City of Iqaluit and talk to Amy, the youth co-ordinator.

Speaking of donations to the centre, I remember we had a giant iglu in there. Someone gave it to us.

It took up the whole space. It was like, styrofoam-plastic.

I guess there was a couch in there and we read in there. But it was too big.

N/N: Whatever happened to the iglu?

JF: I don't know. It just disappeared one day.