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Melting in Kugluktuk

Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Coppermine (Feb 20/06) - The idea is bound to raise a smile, but the ice problems in Kugluktuk are no laughing matter for the hamlet.

Kugluktuk sits above the Arctic Circle in the western-most part of the territory. Surely, if anywhere can generate a firm sheet of ice for the hamlet arena, Kugluktuk can.

This year, though, the arena has been plagued with soft ice.

"It is the way the building is made," said facility maintainer Raymond Oniak.

When the rink was built five years ago, pipes were laid under the arena in anticipation of an ice making machine, said Oniak. Due to budget limitations, the machine never arrived.

Now, the pipes act as a heat conductor. Heat from other parts of the building makes it to the ice, through the pipes.

Soft ice is bad ice, and the hamlet has been forced to cancel community skates and hockey practices.

A short-term solution has been found. Until they lock up for the night, usually at midnight, they just leave the door open, letting the cold Arctic air take care of the ice naturally.

But temperatures were expected to go up to a balmy -5C over the weekend, leaving the option of bringing the outdoors indoors useless because anything warmer than -10C won't do the trick.

"Students use (the ice), minor hockey, women's hockey and senior hockey (as well)," said Oniak.

"We have a few people going to the Arctic Winter Games for hockey, and they can't even practice. They have to use the ice, but some days they can't go on."

The community complex in Kugluktuk houses the community hall, the hockey surface and a curling rink. Rock throwers have been out of luck this year, too.

"It (the curling surface) got soft, too. It really hasn't been used this year," said Kugluktuk SAO Paul Waye.

The ice machine is big bucks, and Waye has few options.

"We are kind of begging right now. The estimates are between $250,000 and $350,000 for the machine, and then you have to get it here. In reality, you are looking at around $500,000," said Waye.

"Whoa, that is more than my community can afford. That is a lot of money," said Robyn Atatahak, 13, when she heard how much it would cost.

The youngster wants some help for the rink.

"I don't know much about the government, but they say they care about us, they should help us," said Atatahak, who loves going to the rink.

"It's fun to play hockey, and I go skating a lot," said Atatahak.

But because of the soft ice, she's had to change her habits.

"There's nothing much else to do. I've been hanging out with my friends and playing street hockey," said Atatahak.

In April of last year, the hamlet had considered closing the arena in order to bring down the $900,000 debt it had.

A youth-lead protest, which gathered about 50 people including elders, helped keep the arena opened.

"We are chipping away at (the debt). It's ironic because a lot of the debt the hamlet incurred was because of the arena floor," said Waye.