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BAKER LAKE
Looking back on last year's hockey season and ahead at the one coming, Baker Lake recreation co-ordinator Richard Aksawnee says recent arena renovations are being put to good use.

The community arena was given a $128,083 upgrade, funded the AREVA Mining Business Group Sponsorship Program, which went toward equipment in the drop-in centre at the building, and improvements to the hockey arena itself.

"It's worked out very good," said Aksawnee. "We installed new boards and new glass completely in our rink."

Aksawnee said the arena also has some table-top games for youth to play, thanks to the cash injection.

"The kids very much enjoyed the stuff that we purchased through AREVA."

AREVA Resources Canada Inc. has sponsorships every year in the Kivalliq region, according to manager of Nunavut affairs Barry McCallum, but they tend to be in smaller amounts - hundreds of dollars, or a few thousand dollars, depending on the project.

"AREVA's a big company and the mining business group has a sponsorship for larger items," said McCallum, so I submitted some proposals last year. I had just received one request from Aksawnee for $75,000 for the rink, and I knew that the drop-in centre could use some work as well so I put in a proposal there for $50,000, and both of those were accepted by the Mining Business Group Sponsorship Program in France, so we were quite happy for that to occur."

McCallum said he and some other AREVA staff were in Baker Lake for an Inuit impact and benefit agreement meeting, and had a chance to check out the revamped facility during their visit.

"The work was done (last year), the funds were paid and the arena has a much nicer look to it as a result," said McCallum.

The money going to the drop-in centre was also used for furniture and computers, said McCallum.

"The room was there but it was missing some equipment," he said.

Both McCallum and Aksawnee said hockey plays a big role in the community.

"I think it's a much newer facility. It gets a lot of use. Ice is important in Baker Lake, hockey is important - we like to participate in the development of the communities where we work," said McCallum, adding it's a way to illustrate the company's commitment to corporate responsibility.

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