INUVIK
As Inuvik officials anticipate the demolition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie School later this year, the town's community services and recreation department is looking to the future.

Kelly Penner, Inuvik's director of community services, said she was very pleased with a March 5 public meeting to discuss recreation opportunities at Chief Jim Koe Park, once Sir Alexander Mackenzie School is demolished later this year. Seventeen people showed up to the meeting to discuss giving the park a fresh look. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Kelly Penner, the director of community services, and Steve Krug, the town's recreation co-ordinator, joined members of the parks and recreation committee at a public meeting March 5 at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.

Also attending the meeting was Peter Clarkson, the regional director for NWT Executive. He provided a brief outline as to when the school would come down – in late spring or early summer – and told the audience that people in other municipalities are "jealous" of the space located in the middle of town that can be developed, such as the park. That's due to a fortuitous combination of luck and planning, he said.

The meeting attracted 17 people from the general public, who sat down for a brainstorming session that generated a cornucopia of ideas.

Nearly everyone attending the meeting seemed to have strong and passionate suggestions and opinions on what the town could offer. The discussion ranged further than simply a facelift for Chief Jim Koe Park, where the school currently sits, to an examination of recreation services as a whole.

That discussion never ranged into outright complaints, although it was clear that some people weren't satisfied with the current offerings and programs.

Kristen Callaghan was one of the most animated people at the discussions. Her first comment was to address the need for more adult activities and after-work programs for people like her "who don't have children."

Shona Barbour was perhaps the most critical. As the audience dispersed into smaller groups for roundtable discussions, she said the town relies "too much" on volunteers to run recreation programs in town, rather than providing the programming itself.

"I feel very strongly" that the town needs to do more to support the non-profit groups, she added.

Certain common themes developed at the roundtables. There's a clear demand for better soccer facilities, and for some form of a running track.

"It would be wonderful to have a track," Callaghan said.

She also advocated for some kind of outdoor rink, either at the park or elsewhere, and a climbing wall.

A dog park was also mentioned as a desirable addition to the town services.

Some kind of multi-use athletic and cultural facility would also be very welcome, participants suggested, although some seemed dubious about the prospect.

"Is there money for that?" Stacey Christie asked.

The consensus was that some sort of building of that type might be feasible, but it would have to maximize space by offering year-round activities, such as an indoor soccer pitch possibly located inside of a running track oval.

East Three school currently offers most of the athletic-related recreational activities in town, and there's not enough time in the schedule to accommodate everyone who might like to use it, several people said.

Marnie Hilash said any such building or town facility need to be "modular, adaptable and have lots of storage."

Bev Garven, the director of library services at the Centennial Library, reminded people that recreation "isn't all about running and jumping."

"It's about your brain too," she said.

After the meeting, Penner said she was very pleased with the ideas that came out of it.

The big thing now, she added, was to follow through on some of those suggestions.