Devastating fire won’t dampen fall programs in Cambridge Bay
All hamlet facilities called into service to house youth programs following June blaze
All computers and equipment are free to use at the Makerspace in Cambridge Bay following a fire that levelled the community’s youth centre in June. (Photo courtesy of Valter Resendes)
Four months after Cambridge Bay lost its youth centre to a devastating fire, the hamlet has a plan to keep youth engaged and get programs back up and running for the fall.
The centre was destroyed May 23 in a fire deliberately set by several young children who entered the building after it was accidentally left unlocked, the hamlet’s fire chief said at the time.
With the loss of the vital community space, Kiilinik High School stepped up to bridge the gap for the elementary school food program, providing bagged lunches for the 60 to 80 students who used that program.
Following removal of the burned debris on June 7, the hamlet also formally took over the breakfast and lunch program, moving it to the youth shelter where it has remained.
After what hamlet chief administrative officer Jim MacEachern called “a challenging summer,” the recreation department has worked to find new locations for key programs and activities.
“Without the youth centre, there is really not much for the youth to do in the community,” said MacEachern, in an interview with Nunatsiaq News.
“We want to make sure that we plan, and have as many programs running as possible using any hamlet facility that we can make available.”
Sites like the community hall, the Elders palace and Makerspace have all been called into service for evening programs, drop-in functions and other large gatherings.
Starting this month, the recreation department will offer a schedule of events that will include teen dances and movie nights.
In preparation for Halloween, the department will offer arts and crafts programs so children and youth can work on making costumes for the annual party.
Asked about future plans to replace the youth centre, MacEachern said building a new centre is top of mind, but there is still red tape to work through.
“Right now, it is still being dealt with at the insurance level, but until the insurance aspect is sorted out we can’t really announce any concrete plans. But certainly, it is a priority for the hamlet.”
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