City of Iqaluit considers new subdivision near Inuit lands, Aqsarniit hotel
Coun. Kyle Sheppard said city will need help making sure municipal services can handle growth
The City of Iqaluit is considering whether to approval a proposed new subdivision, outlined in blue, near the Aqsarniit hotel. This design, which was one of two in a planning committee meeting package, includes the construction of a road to help alleviate traffic. (Image courtesy of City of Iqaluit)
The City of Iqaluit is considering the possibility of a new subdivision to be developed by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association near the Aqsarniit hotel.
Matthew Dodds, Iqaluit’s director of planning and development, presented the proposal at Tuesday’s planning and development committee meeting.
He noted that council previously voted to pursue this possible subdivision in 2022, but there have been a few new issues to emerge since then.
They include Iqaluit receiving money through the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund earlier this year, a study being conducted to improve the flow of traffic near Inuksuk High School and other infrastructure upgrades in the core area.
One of the concepts for the new subdivision includes a possible new bypass road that would branch off of Kangiq & Iniq Drive, which could alleviate traffic.
Coun. Kyle Sheppard was the only committee member to comment on the proposal during the meeting.
He said he thinks the city needs to “move ahead on this as quickly as possible,” get the consultations done and start a negotiation process with the developer.
He also added that the city will need help making sure its services such as the fire department and water delivery are able to keep up with growth.
“In the coming years, we could easily see 1,000 or more new units in our community, and there’s been very little talk of other parties providing injections to help us deal with that growth,” he said.
“Whether it’s Inuit organizations, private developers, Government of Nunavut or Nunavut Housing Corp., we’re going to need help to provide the adequate services that these new developments are going to need.”
Committee members voted 6-0 to move ahead with with the project. Councillors Romeyn Stevenson and Harry Flaherty did not vote because they declared conflicts of interest.
That work includes directing city staff to prepare a memorandum of understanding with Qikiqtani Inuit Association over planning and development, conduct community engagement, draft a private land development agreement with QIA and prepare a rezoning bylaw for council to consider.
The area for the proposed subdivision borders Inuit Owned Lands, which means the city will need to sign the memorandum of agreement with QIA to outline responsibilities over issues like road and infrastructure development, planning and development schemes, said Aleksey Cameron, the city’s spokesperson.
The community engagement results and draft memorandum of understanding will head back to committee and council for consideration, Cameron said.
What do they plan to do with the fuel pipeline, not shown in the picture but same place where red line is…
It’s only common sense to build over it. It can be done. You islanders seem to lack common sense.
The fuel pipeline no longer exists. It used to be used between the fed plant and main storage but was decommissioned long ago
There is most certainly still a pipeline there, I go over it (while walking) a few times a week. They’ll have to bury a stretch of it.
that pipeline is used to fill the tanks at QEC from the tank farm and boat offloading area. not only is it used. the portion across from the courthouse and going up the hill is brand new!
I’ll start off by saying that I always thought it was dumb that they ‘capped off’ Qulliq Court by building townhomes right at the end of it. Now it leaves no choice but to build access through IOL, leaving the City at the mercy of QIA, who may want to throw lots of conditions at the City for rights of way.
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There’s (what seems like) a really good spot just on the south side of the Road to Apex, to the West of the steep hill that goes down towards Apex, and to the North of the Apex trail along the beach. A ‘mostly’ flat area of probably close to 40 acres, roughly the size of Tundra Valley (which has around 125 homes), likely over twice the size of this proposed development. Has that area been looked at? Discussed?
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Would make for a great view.
Correction on the article: A street name is erroneously written as “Kangiq & Iniq” while the correct name is all one – Kangiq&iniq. The ampersand is used to represent a sound found in the Inuktitut spoken language and not in roman orthography.
I live in the general vicinity. I sure hope they provide for trails so people can continue to travel by skidoo/walk/ski along the bottom of that cliff. Wouldn’t want a house too close anyway for fear of boulders bouncing through your back door. There’s also some funny drainage issues around there that they want to make sure they understand. So-called “groundwater”, if you know what I mean.
YES, much needed. No ideal place so I hope this proceeds. Also consider “tiny homes”
The ground is really wet and swampy in that part of town, so I am not sure how QIA plans to deal with the drainage issues.
Get out of me SWAMP!!
would be a great view but the cost of extending the water and sewer pipelines to that area is well over any budget they have. and the city said they dont want to make any more trucked water services subdivisions.
Check out the 2016 plan for Road to nowhere subdivision connection the new arena and now that new healing center that costed 80 million. That I suspect was put where it was because they got funding and could bung in the cost to lay the foundation of that pipework that would otherwise not be in any budget.
Over 100 sing family homes and many multiplexes in that subdivision thats nearly 8 years out of planning and not a single stake, pole or road yet!