GN to ship portable classrooms to fire-damaged Kugaaruk this summer

Netsilik MLA Emiliano Qirngnuq rises March 7 in Nunavut’s Legislative Assembly to ask about the government’s progress in finding temporary classroom space for students in Kugaaruk, where the local school was destroyed by fire last week. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

The Government of Nunavut plans to ship new modular classrooms to Kugaaruk by sealift this summer, Nunavut’s education minister told the legislative assembly this week.

The GN will purchase six portables to serve as temporary classrooms until a new school is built, Minister Paul Quassa said March 7.

A fire destroyed Kugaardjuq school Feb. 28, Kugaaruk’s only school and an important social hub in the Kitikmeot community of 900.

But Netsilik MLA Emiliano Qirngnuq wants to make sure construction materials and other supplies make it this summer to one of Nunavut’s most challenging sealift destinations.

Kugaaruk, located at the base of Pelly Bay, lies in an ice zone that has usually prevented commercial shipping companies from delivering goods directly to the community.

Typically, carriers bring cargo as far as Nanisivik, at the tip of Baffin Island, at which point the Canadian Coast Guard delivers materials to Kugaaruk and to the research station at Eureka on Ellesmere Island.

Quassa acknowledged the challenges cargo ships have trying to reach the community.

“Right now, we have plans to ship those portable classrooms by ship and if that can’t be done we’re trying to look at other ways,” Quassa said March 7 in response to Qirngnuq’s concerns.

“We’re open to suggestions on how to ship them. We know near Kugaaruk, there’s an old [Distant Early Warning] line site near the community and we looking at the airport at the old DEW line site.”

In 2014, the accumulation of multi-year ice, coupled with bad weather, severely delayed the delivery of Kugaaruk’s cargo, requiring some cargo items to return south for the winter.

But in 2015, Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc.’s M/V Camilla Desgagnés made a rare, direct delivery to Kugaaruk, accompanied by the Coast Guard, with 5,000 cubic metres of cargo aboard.

NSSI/Desgagnés Transartik Inc. hopes to continue the direct delivery, ice conditions permitting.

NSSI told Nunatsiaq News that it has plans to service Kugaaruk in 2017, including the temporary school mobile units.

In the meantime, hamlet and GN officials have identified a handful of buildings in Kugaaruk to host classes for the remainder of the school year.

Kindergarten students moved into the community’s daycare centre earlier this week, while other grade levels will return to class in the coming weeks.

School officials have begun ordering in new classroom materials but it could take several more weeks to re-supply the temporary classrooms.

This week at the legislature, Qirngnuq also stood to acknowledge the work of Kugaaruk’s volunteer firefighters, who worked overnight in extreme cold conditions to keep the fire under control and from spreading to other buildings.

Local fire chief Vincent Ningark said the late-night fire was the most difficult his crew has responded to in his firefighting career. On Feb. 28 through until March 1, temperatures in Kugaaruk dipped to minus 56 C, forcing firefighters to bring water trucks to the municipal garage to thaw.

But the firefighters’ work has been credited for saving other infrastructure in the community.

“Kugaaruk’s firefighters made great efforts under challenging circumstances last week to contain the school fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings in the community,” Qirngnuq told the legislature.

“They helped to prevent a bad situation from becoming even worse.”

Qirngnuq thanked each firefighter by name: Fire Chief Vincent Ningark; Franky Immingaq Sr; Colin Quinjunaq; Gayton Aksataung; Itian Kakiarniut; Adam Qiunaq; Philip Alakannuaq; Norman Qavvik; Jonathan Ningark; Kyle Amautinnuaq; Adrian Qauruaq; Pauloosie Nunngaq, and Fabian Petolut.

In a March 8 release, the Government of Nunavut said that any fundraising or donations towards recovery efforts in Kugaaruk should be directed to the Kugaaruk District Education Authority by contacting Michael MacIntyre at mmacintyre@kitikmeot.edu.nu.ca.

But as a public institution, the territorial government noted that it is responsible for all expenses related to rebuilding the facility and replacing lost supplies.