Dez Loreen
Northern News Services
Monday, July 30, 2007

INUVIK - In what could be called a true community effort, the Ingamo Hall mini putt is getting renovated for a public re-opening next year.

The mini putt course has been used for the past few years by Ingamo Hall for their day camp programs.

Howie Young of the Inuvik Justice Committee said the restoration effort started earlier this year with the Skills Link program. "The Skills Link participants painted the holes and made it look better," said Young.

Once the fixtures and holes were painted, Young met with Diane Baxter of Ingamo Hall to discuss how the course could be upgraded.

"We wanted the course available to the public as soon as possible," said Young.

Young arranged for workers serving their community service hours to help spruce up the course. "Now there is a crew of workers out there daily putting soil down for future grass," said Young.

Young said that over the years, the putter's paradise has fallen on rough times.

"The whole area was overrun with weeds and big rocks," said Young.

"Once all the old stuff is cleaned up, we can start with the rest of the project."

Young said soil has been donated by Northwind.

"It's a community project that has developed out of something small," said Young.

"This will be able to serve many different organizations."

Young added that even though many organizations are finding benefits from working on the course, the ones who will truly win in the end are the youth.

"After this is all completed, the youth in town will have a mini golf course to use," he said.

Diane Baxter of Ingamo Hall said the project has been beneficial to the friendship centre and she is grateful for the help from the community.

Baxter said that the centre had been doing maintenance work on the course, but it's a relief to have extra hands help out. "There are a lot of workers fixing it up and hopefully this will be completed in the fall," said Baxter.

"We're looking to have grass in and open for next summer."