Feds help fund Nunavut community’s cultural display

Qikiqtarjuaq’s new iceberg-shaped Gathering House will house the community’s new interpretive and cultural display. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NCC INVESTMENTS INC)

Tourism in Qikiqtarjuaq, population about 500, got a financial boost this week in the form of a $65,000 contribution from the federal government.

The money will go toward a new interpretive and cultural display at Qikiqtarjuaq’s Gathering House.

The new display will feature information about the social and natural history of the region including nearby Auyuittuq National Park.

The project is also being funded with $143,000 from the Government of Nunavut, $50,000 from the Kakivak Association and $50,000 from the hamlet of Qikiqtarjuaq.

“The hamlet has dreamed about having a tourism focal point in the heart of the community,” said Qikiqtarjuaq mayor Mary Killiktee.

“This year we are seeing that dream become a reality with the completion of the Gathering House and being able to showcase our heritage through the cultural display.”

“We’re thankful to CanNor for funding this project,” she said. “We look forward to the next steps of being able to welcome even more visitors to our beautiful community and giving them a first class tourist experience.”

The interpretive and cultural display is under construction and should be completed by early 2016.

The building that it’s housed in, the iceberg-shaped Gathering House, was recently constructed to house the Parks Canada office and the hamlet’s tourism office.