Inuvik - Inuvik's 50th anniversary gave a chance for former mayors and other dignitaries to share their feelings about the community.

After the anniversary parade, a large audience gathered in Jim Koe Park to hear from Mayor Derek Lindsay and other former mayors.

Mayor Derek Lindsay and emcee Les Carpenter took the stage during the homecoming celebrations this past weekend. During the presentations, speeches were made by past mayors and government officials. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Master of ceremonies Les Carpenter started the day off by unveiling the newest addition to the park, a statue of three people holding hands in a triangle.

The statue was originally in front of Samuel Hearne secondary school, where it sat for decades, until it was moved in 2004 due to vandalism.

The day was off to a windy start, with a grey mass of overcast clouds looming over the park.

Lindsay started the crowd off with a joke about the not-so-pleasant weather.

"Are you warm?" he asked the audience, to which they replied with a loud negative response.

"Well, at least you're dry," zinged the mayor.

Lindsay welcomed the crowd to the celebration.

"This community has seen many changes over the years," he said.

"We are a town of a very diverse population who have worked and collaborated to keep this community moving forward."

Lindsay told the crowd that although the town is young, it has already seen a lifetime's worth of new faces and visitors.

Lindsay also spoke of future development in and around the community.

"We are on the verge of another economic boom," he said.

"We want to say to our partners in the Territories, that we are ready for the pipeline, so we can stay strong as a sustainable community."

As Inuvik was originally intended to serve the region as the centre for health care and education, Lindsay acknowledged the work of the people in those fields.

"We are the heart of the Beaufort Delta region," he said.

Former mayor Paul Komaromi also said a few words about his time in service of the town, while in his early twenties.

"Being the youngest mayor was a challenge," he said.

"I think I bit off a bit more than I could chew, but it was a lot of fun."

Komaromi shared a few stories about growing up in town.

"I want to thank everyone for coming in for the celebrations, I've seen some faces I haven't seen in many years," he said.

Another former mayor, Peter Clarkson, took the stage and spoke of his time in office and wished the crowd a good weekend.

"As a little community, I think we've brought together what we want to see in the entire country," he said.

"We're living together, working together and our spirit is together."