Iqaluit (May 22/06) - You can get a lot done with a smile. Jeannie Alainga knows that. She has been a clerk at the Nunavut Court of Justice since 1999, and is the first person you are likely to see when you enter.

With the new Court of Justice building, Alainga has a new view, but still misses parts of the old building.

"It is better in ways. It isn't as stuffy, it has better air. The only problem is the distance from one room to another," laughed Alainga. She likes her job, and the changing cast of characters she gets to meet while handling the main desk.

"I enjoy it. It is a challenge and there is a big workload. They are good people and open-minded," said Alainga.

The mother of two - 11-year-old Jessica and 12-year-old Maleetoo - said she enjoys watching movies with her children.

"X-men is our favourite. We are waiting for the new one to get to the theatre," said Alainga.

Her kids may be better versed in the X-men characters though. When asked for a favourite X-man, she said, "You know, the guy with the claws."

An Iqaluit resident her entire life, she has seen the city's growth spurt.

"It is so much bigger and busier. It is just change. We need to work together. There are problems out there that need to be fixed, like the roads," said Alainga.

Working at the courthouse is serious business, which takes her from the front desk to the courtroom.

But she still finds time to laugh with her co-workers.

"There are a lot of silly and fun things that happen here. We had a good laugh when a co-worker tried to pronounce a name from another region after we found out the proper pronunciation," said Alainga.