Kugluktuk gets new service buildings
Water treatment centre, machine shop and six-bay garage open in hamlet
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, February 20, 2017
KUGLUKTUK
Three new buildings opened in Kugluktuk will provide more effective and efficient water and waste water services to the hamlet.
Premier Peter Taptuna, second from left, and Kugluktuk Mayor Ryan Nivingalok cut the ribbon for a new public works building on Feb. 14. Hamlet councilor Lucy Taipana, left, Larry Adjun and Cpl. Jean Luc Bedard held the ribbon. - photo courtesy of Mathieu Dumond/Umingmak Productions |
A new water treatment plant, public works building and six-bay garage were officially opened following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 14.
"Our water and sewage trucks were kept in a building together. It wasn't a real healthy way to do it," said hamlet senior administrative officer Don LeBlanc.
The new covered parking area is divided into subsections.
"This new six-bay garage (has) three bays for sewage, three bays for water," said LeBlanc.
The infrastructure projects were part of a five-year plan by the hamlet.
"It was a community project," he said. "We met our goals with the equipment and with the garages."
Except for an outside company contracted to do heat and electrical, the new garage and maintenance shop were built by Kugluktuk-based Kikiak Construction.
"We invested a lot of time and energy into research and planning for these projects to make the best use of funding, local contractors and other resources that were available in Kugluktuk," stated Mayor Ryan Nivingalok in a news release for the opening.
"The benefit from this is that we have new facilities and renovated buildings that will serve our community for many years and we did it in a very cost-effective way."
The six-bay garage was built from the ground up and the maintenance shop was an existing building purchased by the hamlet and renovated.
The modern buildings will help the community to save on operational costs and the new maintenance shop will replace two older buildings in the hamlet.
The water facility is complete and is expected to be operational in June or July.
"We always had good water, but it will be faster, quicker and an upgrade to our old system," said LeBlanc. "It's beautiful and high-tech."
The facility introduces gravel and sand filtration.
The garage was funded with $300,000 from the federal Gas Tax Fund and the water treatment plant was paid for with $1,812,957 from the federal Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
The public works building is being funded by a $250,000 contribution agreement from the Government of Nunavut.
Premier Peter Taptuna, who is also the community's MLA, was present for the event.
"Through partnership at all levels, the Government of Nunavut is helping to build capacity in communities throughout the territory," he stated. "The hamlet administration and residents of Kugluktuk should be commended for their use of resources and effective planning. What we see here today demonstrates how good ideas and teamwork help build communities."
Elders from the hamlet attended the opening on the community elders' bus. A light lunch was served and Alice Ayalik lit the qulliq.
