Iqaluit approves more money for AWG arena floor

At a special meeting July 28, Iqaluit’s city council voted for the first time to spend some of the city’s own money on a floor-covering system for the Arctic Winter Games arena.

Such a system would allow the AWG arena to be used not just as an ice surface, but as a venue for other activities during ice season.

Iqaluit recreation director Amy Elgersma explained to council that no-one had responded by the July 23 deadline to the city’s request for proposals to install the new system to the AWG.

So city staff contacted Sports Systems Unlimited, the company whose proposal had come in late, and negotiated a sole-source contract.

In addition to spending almost $77,000 in territorial cash, the council voted unanimously to approve additional spending of $89,460 in response to Elgersma’s request. The GST will add another $4,500 to the bill.

Elgersma said the city had hoped that outside sources would fund the entirety of the project, but the Government of Nunavut balked at paying for anything other than the system’s physical materials and installation.

The tender covers physical materials, installation, a five-year limited warranty and delivery to the sealift marshalling yard at Valleyfield, Quebec.

In response to questions from chief administrator John Hussey, Elgersma explained that some organizations have already booked the AWG for uses other than as an ice arena, such as for the annual First Air Ball.

The fees that the city charges for such events would help offset the cost of the system, she said.

At the May 28 meeting when the council approved issuing a request for proposals for the flooring system, Elgersma had told councillors that they would need a forklift to install the panels every time.

But since the GN didn’t agree to pay for a forklift, Elgersma said staff would have to build their own carts to install the panels.

If that proves impossible, the city will have to rent a forklift as necessary and pass the cost on to the groups who want to use the arena without ice in the winter.

She said she intended to ask for a forklift in next year’s city budget.