Spence Bay (May 31/04) - A rope made from bearded seal skin served as a fitting ribbon during the grand opening of the elders centre in Taloyoak on May 17.

The community's oldest elder, Bibian Marqniq, who is believed to be more than 100-years-old (she was born on the land and the date of her birth is inconclusive) used a shiny ulu to cut the seal skin to officially open the gathering place, which has been a long time coming for the community.

David Igutsaq stood beaming on the sidelines that day, as an elder drum danced in celebration. Another female elder played the button accordion.

"It's very, very important to me," said Igutsaq, 59. "I'm not quite an elder yet," he said from his home in Taloyoak following the ceremony.

Igutsaq knows all too well how desperately the 15 or so elders needed their own place. He was the person who transported the elders from place to place this winter.

The elders of Taloyoak have never had a stable, permanent place to play games, meet with youth or socialize with each other regularly -- until now.

"They gathered at the government office, and when there was no room there they would get together at the community hall on the other side of town. It was pretty hard on them. I'm pretty sure all the elders in town are very pleased that they have one place to go to now," said Igutsaq.

The single storey house is a renovated three-bedroom public housing unit, not quite in the centre of town, but "away from the traffic," Igutsaq said.

"It's wide open now -- big windows looking down to the sea and over the town," said Igutsaq.

Now the elders go on there Wednesday afternoons to play games.

"I just saw them by the windows," said Igutsaq. "I'm happy. I'm really pleased."

Elder Iola Takolik spoke at the opening, and told everyone how happy he is now that elders have their own space.

"The elders centre will keep them together, give them a place to meet so they aren't moving around all the time," said Jayko Neeveecheak, mayor of Taloyoak, who recalled the speech that Takolik made in Inuktitut.

Neeveecheak said about 60 people turned out that day and the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation filmed it for a later broadcast.