Carolyn Sloan
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 29, 2008

IQALUIT - Iqaluit city council decided last Tuesday to invest $2.1 million in repairs to the Arctic Winter Games Arena after a tie vote was broken by chairman Jimmy Kilabuk.

The $2.1 million fix was the option recommended as the best long-term solution by the engineering firm that was hired to investigate potential upgrades of the complex.

The repairs include removing the concrete slab over the entire rink surface and supporting the area, bleachers and player benches with a new structural slab with piled foundation and bedrock.

"We have to make sure there is at least one recreation complex," said councillor Allan Hayward, who brought forward the motion. "If we don't have one facility, we'll have none."

He urged council to support a long-term fix in view that the older Arnaitok arena is reaching the end of its lifespan. He suggested the $2.1 million in repairs be budgeted over the next few years.

Coun. Glen Williams spoke against the motion, arguing that the $240,000 fix, while potentially a short-term solution, would allow the ice surface at the rink to be reinstated by the spring at the latest. He added the more expensive repairs would be less feasible, both in terms of cost and the time it would take.

"It would take two years for us to budget and find that amount of money," said Williams. "I think that we could find $240,000 this year in our budget."

Both councillors Simon Nattaq and Claude Martel argued $2.1 million was too much money to be invested in a facility that has been fraught with structural problems due to its location.

"We will have to build another building, this time considering the area...so it will be in a better place," said Nattaq through translation.

Construction of the arena, which was built for the 2002 Arctic Winter Games, cost $3.4 million.