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APEX
A parents and tots group that is able to fill Abe Okpik Hall in Apex went to the City of Iqaluit Sept. 25 hoping the city would support longer hours for the group's hall rental.

Eeta Nukiruaq and her six-month-old son Paul-James make crafts at Abe Okpik Hall in Apex during the Iqaluit Parents and Tots Association group session Sept. 26. - Casey Lessard/NNSL photo

"This is the first time where we want to expand, where we have sign-in programs, music programs, Inuktitut programs, language, literacy," said recently-hired executive director Catherina de Goede. "There's a huge demand for that. I have parents ask me all the time, 'When are these programs going to start?' I'm just waiting on getting that donated space, which we need."

The group was not heard, however, because not enough city councillors showed up to the meeting. The group is going to try again Oct. 9, the last council meeting ahead of the Oct. 15 election.

The city has donated the space for nine hours a week for 20 years, de Goede said. Co-ordinator Lisa Panniluk said with preparation and cleanup time, the hall is open to parents from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The group is hoping the city will donate up to 40 hours a week, noting the demand is high enough to justify it.

"We're hoping that they will give us 9-to-5, Monday to Friday," de Goede said. "We've increased our numbers ever since we implemented this more structured program when I started in May. We've noticed through the numbers we've been getting at least 15 to 20 more families coming every week. More Inuit, more dads. It's becoming a great social atmosphere for families to really experience early childhood development and have that fun but structured activity. We're even grateful if we can get three hours on a Tuesday and Thursday. We could do a lot of programs with that."

Panniluk said the place would run better with longer hours, and if it could run daily.

"It's so important that they can go there and have fun, make crafts, have free snacks," Panniluk said.

She noted the program has rapidly improved, as has the response from families.

"It's better than two years ago," Panniluk said. "The parents didn't really go there much. Now there's lots of people; lots of adults, lots of kids."

The group is going to encourage more parents to attend the Oct. 9 city council meeting, which they hope enough councillors attend to hear their pitch. The Sept. 25 meeting had to be cancelled after only Mayor Madeleine Redfern, deputy mayor Simon Nattaq and councillors Jimmy Kilabuk and Stephen Mansell attended. Of those missing, two were on duty travel and one had to deal with a family emergency. Council waited eight minutes after the scheduled start time, when Redfern informed the group that the fourth councillor, with whom the meeting would have gone ahead, would not be attending for unexplained reasons.

The Iqaluit Parents and Tots Association has the support of Brighter Futures, the Healthy Children Initiative, and Embrace Life. With de Goede in place, the group plans to increase its work, giving parents and children access to crafts, story time, traditional music, and country food.

"We'd love to have this every day and reach out to the whole community," de Goede said, "and have parent workshops and bring in elders so we could do inter-generational music, all different age groups and (make) it into a family resource centre."

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