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INUVIK
Need a place to live in Inuvik? There's an app for that.

New resident Isabelle Mader has created a local group for house hunting. - photo courtesy of Isabelle Mader

Well, not really an app, but a Facebook page that has gained more than 120 members since being created two weeks ago.

Isabelle Mader came to Inuvik for a five-week practicum at the Inuvik Regional Health Centre.

With no room in the dormitory, she was forced to look elsewhere for housing.

Mader found a place to live through people she works with, but not before noticing a need to have a centralized place for housing listings.

"There are so many people that come here on contract or who want to stay long-term but initially can't find a place to live," she said.

Mader admits she may have started the group for selfish reasons.

"I was considering taking employment up here and I didn't know where to look for something permanent."

Mader noticed that a lot of the other Inuvik groups on Facebook had a lot of daily activity and thought maybe a dedicated housing group could help.

"A six-month lease is a waste for some people if they're always moving around for work," she said.

"There are people who can house sit or rent a room off someone for a few months."

Mader expects group activity to pick up even more as summer comes to an end.

"After vacations people come back to work or move here for the school year," she said.

"It will also spread through word of mouth."

With the success of the new group Mader is planning more Facebook ideas.

"New people to Inuvik sometimes don't know how to meet people or where to go," said Mader.

"But everyone is so friendly and welcoming, all you need is a way to make that first contact."

Mader just wants to provide a way to make that first contact easier, she said.

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