From ‘Fore!’ to ‘Play ball!’: Golf event makes Iqaluit minor softball league reality

This article was updated Tuesday Sept. 22, 2026, at 4:10 ET.

Minor league softball is coming to Iqaluit in summer 2027, thanks to more than $220,000 raised by the Iqaluit Charity Golf Tournament in Gatineau, Que.

“This support will give more young people a chance to be active, learn new skills and take part in organized recreation,” said Iqaluit Mayor Solomon Awa Monday in a news release.

Organized by Outcrop Communications, more than 130 golfers took part in the Aug. 28 event, which also attracted approximately 30 corporate sponsors.

The donations are destined for the Ikajuqtiit Community Association, a non profit, Iqaluit-based organization that enhances recreational opportunities for local youth, including improvements to the Iqaluit ball diamond.

The funds will cover uniforms and equipment for the new league, said association chair Tom Fitzgerald Tuesday in a phone interview. The money will also pay for the installation of artificial turf in the outfield.

Those materials are scheduled to arrive next July on the first sealift of 2026, at no charge by Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc., he said.

It is the first time the association has been the beneficiary in the charitable event’s 19-year history.

Habitat for Humanity Iqaluit usually receives the funds that the event raises.

However, because Habitat for Humanity had no projects planned for Iqaluit this year, organizers chose to support Ikajuqtiit, said Outcrop Communications CEO Jen Hayward Monday in a phone interview.

The city’s recreation department will organize and administer the league, Fitzgerald said.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the date that the Iqaluit Charity Golf Tournament took place.