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Ground broken at new gathering site Building next to Auyuittuq National Park will house new Parks Canada office
Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 30, 2013
QIKIQTARJUAQ/BROUGHTON ISLAND
Construction of a new community gathering centre in Qikiqtarjuaq began on Sept. 3.
The building, originally conceived in 2002, will overlook the water across from the Inuksuit School and is scheduled for completion by March 31, 2015.
This is a rendering of the Qikiqtarjuaq Gathering Centre, scheduled for completion by March 31, 2015. It will be located next to Auyuittuq National Park and will house the new Parks Canada office. - image courtesy of Mike Cook |
An estimated $2.5 million - phased over three years - will be invested in the project, which will house the new Parks Canada office, as well as the hamlet's tourism co-ordinator, who is yet to be hired.
Project manager Mike Cook, the hamlet's former community economic development officer, said five Qikiqtarjuaqmiut were hired as a result of the construction phase, which has been contracted to NCC Construction. The new tourism co-ordinator will likely be hired next year.
"We will likely be bringing one on after the fiscal year change over, April 1, 2014," he said.
"This is the first real investment in economic infrastructure targeting tourism in Qikiqtarjuaq. Being adjacent to the national park, this building has been anticipated since early 2002."
The new centre will act as a starting point for visitors exploring the Auyuittuq National Park and will be a place where elders can gather and teach residents and tourists alike about culture, wildlife, land and people of the region.
"The Qikiqtarjuaq Gathering Centre will be a focal point for tourism activities, cultural exchange, and
education about the Inuit traditions," according to a news release issued on Sept. 20.
Qikiqtarjuaq mayor Mary Killiktee said the building will pay tribute to the hamlet's past while educating the future.
"This project will lay the groundwork for future development as Qikiqtarjuaq continues its focus on economic development, and brings new opportunities to its residents," she stated in the release.
Funding for the centre was partially provided by the Government of Nunavut Economic Development and Transportation department, the Kakivak Association, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
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