New director impressed with complex
Midnight Sun has more to offer
than what is available in Alberta towns
Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, October 24, 2013
INUVIK
The Midnight Sun Recreation Complex is under new management.
Kelly Penner is the new director of community services for the Town of Inuvik. She moved from High River, Alta., and is very impressed with what the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex has to offer. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
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No, the town hasn't turned over what might be the most popular facility in town to other hands.
Instead, there's a new director of recreation services taking the reins months after Tony Devlin, the former director, left for the greener pastures of the Inuvialuit Communications Society.
It's been a period of transition for the complex, since longtime recreation co-ordinator Rose Constantineau left for another job in Yellowknife nearly two months ago.
The new director, Kelly Penner, isn't intimidated by the challenge, though.
She came to Inuvik from High River, Alta., with a varied background in recreation services, children's services, housing and regional economic development.
"We wanted to try something new, and we've loved living on the river in High River, so we thought we'd like to see the other end of it," she said.
Her new job consists of "managing the Midnight Sun Complex, working with and supporting community groups and supporting volunteers as much as possible.
"Also, since the town of Inuvik is the largest in the area, I help out with the other communities as well, although I haven't done much of that as yet."
Penner said she had a chance to study up and research the town, and particularly the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, before accepting the job. But she's still amazed at the facility.
"I had seen the pictures on the website, so I knew there was something good happening here," she said. "But to walk in and see it ... obviously the pool is a real highlight. I was very impressed to see it."
"Let me put it this way. We don't have (a pool like that) in High River, which is a town of 7,000 people and serves as a regional service centre. We have a pool with a water slide, but to come up here and find services I wouldn't expect in a regional service centre in Alberta ... I was impressed."
Penner said she's also impressed with the arena and it's usage, along with the complex's conference facilities.
"No community around me in Alberta had these kind of conference facilities. We would have loved it, we would have killed for it," she said. "So to come in here and see these type of services that could hold its head up with anywhere down south, it's impressive."
Penner said she's also impressed with the atmosphere in town.
"People here are so friendly," she said. "We've found people very open, very friendly, very helpful. It's easy too, to move your family into a community with a brand-new school and child-care facility."
The transition to the community has likely been easier than settling into the new job, though.
Penner arrived just in time for the town's computer systems to come crashing down at the beginning of August, and it's been a work in progress ever since. She's still busy trying to get some aspects of the system up and running.
"Fortunately, it was pool and arena shut-down time, so it wasn't so busy here. It was all right, and my system is mostly up and running now. So it's good.
"I've got good staff who care about community service and customer service. I see my priority as maximizing the use of the complex. We want to make sure that people are enjoying it, that they are here, and it's getting used as much as possible," she said.
"I also want to encourage partnerships with the community. That's always a big priority of mine."
