Iqaluit cross-country ski club looking for permanent home
Aniirajak Ski and Adventure Club currently rents its base in Upper Plateau
Marc-Antoine Guay, a member of the Aniirajak Ski and Adventure Club board, speaks to Iqaluit city councillors at Tuesday’s planning and development committee meeting. The club is hoping to find a permanent base of operations in the city. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
An Iqaluit cross-country ski club wants a permanent home base in the community, but questions remain over where that will be and how the city will go about transferring the land.
Marc-Antoine Guay, a board member of the Aniirajak Ski and Adventure Club, spoke to councillors at Tuesday’s planning and development committee meeting about his organization’s needs.
Currently, the club occupies a lot in Upper Plateau under a land-use permit it is required to renew regularly. The club is seeking an 18-month permit to continue there through 2025.
“The Aniirajak club — a non-profit organization — has developed and maintained quality recreational facilities during the past seven years but we don’t have, presently, a permanent site for our facilities,” Guay said.
The club and city staff drafted a memorandum of understanding that awaits approval from city council.
Its provisions include that the club continue to operate as a non-profit; that the city renew the current land-use permit at no charge; and that the city assist the club in finding a suitable permanent location.
“We see the memorandum of understanding as the beginning of a partnership between the city and the club to develop recreational outdoor activities facilities for all Iqalummiut,” Guay said.
“We’d prefer to stay at the current location, if it’s deemed suitable by the city council.”
Guay added that the club would also like water service, an amenity the current location does not provide.
City planner Mathew Dodds presented a request for a decision on the issue in Tuesday’s memorandum to council.
Several councillors spoke of the good work the ski club has done, especially for young people. However, some raised concerns.
In particular, councillors Harry Flaherty and Amber Aglukark spoke of interactions between skiers and residents in the area who have dogs.
“When they’re walking their dogs, they’ve been told not to go in that area,” Flaherty said.
Aglukark said there should be consultations with residents of the surrounding areas wherever the city and the ski club look for a location.
Coun. Romeyn Stevenson said the memorandum as presented needs clarification of the city’s ability to choose or approve a location.
He suggested possible locations for a permanent home base for the ski club, such as the park on the Road to Nowhere.
“I think we need to be clear as a council right now that we’re kind of agreeing to finding them a place, and then giving it to them for free, or giving strong consideration to them for free. Both of those seem fine to me,” Stevenson said.
“I can’t picture a world where we’d be giving a lot, with water to it, away for free.”
The committee voted to send the memorandum back to city staff and review it at a future city council meeting.
Members also voted to hold off approving the club’s land-use permit until the memorandum is approved.
Speaking after the meeting, Guay said the ski club wants to stay put, but will work with the city to determine what happens next.
Currently, the club operates out of some sea cans on its current site.
I remember trying to go hunting and they told me not skidoo near there angrily , I also noticed this skiing is only for francophone French people
If you respect the setup areas and the groomed trail, there is no issue at all. Dog owners with large or small (right Amber), skidoo driver and hikers can and do easily co-exist. It’s people like you who start trying to mess this up. Only french kids????? Are you nuts??????????? I assume you are aware of the fact that the ski club was able to sent participants to the AWG, aren’t you? This alone was a great accomplishment and provides some justification for the request. There is nothing negative about the ski club and I applaud them to bring further activities to Nunavut and our kids the chance to try other recreational sports.
It’s the dog walkers who leave the poop behind and don’t care a bit.
So please, do me, you and all others a favour and just stop bring up a statement that’s
1. A complete lie
2. includes hate and discrimination
Should it be free? No, but there should be funding resources available to help.
Only for francophones? Not true. Just look at Team Nunavut at the AWG this year. Not able to go hunting because of a ski trail? Man. OK! Let’s scrap a good program that puts kids and family outside for sports to please those anti-francophones who don’t like to go around a short trail before polluting Geraldine Lake. Iqaluit should never try anything new!
French school does activities there with the club, but Joamie school does too, and the rest of their activities are mostly anglophone and Inuit. It’s open to everyone!
First commenter speaks the truth. My kids were told not to be around there too. They’ll say whatever they want to get what they want.
Yes some kids were chosen for AWG skiing but let’s be honest, it isn’t the local kids being picked either. It’s the have’s that were being picked. As with curling, speed skating, etc… it’s becoming a joke. They’ll use Nunavut to get what they want instead.
Define local kids, what is your definition of a local kid? I’ve spent my entire life in Nunavut, was I a local kid?
There are many Inuit kids at the French school. I wonder if they qualify as local kids. What about those born in other communities? Are they locals? It’s getting hard to know which kids can do what…Help us, Nintendo oui!
My kids have always known Nunavut as home, born and bred. They are not local kids? because they are non-inuit? give your head a shake! Any kid can join these sports group, unfortunately some kids don’t see there is also hard work that entails, not just showing up once or twice. If anything, all of these sports groups are probably crying for more kids to join, it teaches them a lot plus it gets them out of trouble.
You hunt that close to town? Must not be very good hunter.
All these boards are dying for your participation: curling, hockey, judo, speed skating, skiing, etc. You assume that non-Inuit kids are not local. (even if they were born here, I guess) Remove all the “non-local” parents from all these boards and see what is going to happen. Instead of complaining, join them. Like it or not, Iqaluit is becoming more and more multicultural, like the rest of the country. I don’t ski myself, but I stop by a few times. They are more like hippies than elitists, that’s for sure. This is where you are wrong: These “non-local parents” don’t use Nunavut; they try to make it better. Sometimes with success, like at the ski club, in judo, hockey, softball, or speed skating. Go talk with these volonteers; they don’t bite.
Plenty of land out there and people in Iqaluit acting like there’s not much of it around. Lots of places to go skidooing, hunting, walk your dogs. Just let the ski club be, atleast we have one
Kick them out of the current spot that they occupied without permission in the first place. Hardly ‘quality’ facilities, unsafe for the younger folk seeing as they have to cross a road all of the time that gets slippery and hard so see during the winter months due to the snow banks. Rude to skidooers and people walking their dogs on an area the ski club clearly does not own. Don’t care about your ‘groomed’ trails. I for one will continue to burn over those on my skidoo since it’s a main trail to head out of town that they unilaterally decided to occupy and put up signs and trail markers without permission. Put them out in the West 40 away from town so they stop harassing residents
How many IQ Meh is disrespecting in this short useless angry rant? I count 7 out of 8!
Inuuqatigiitsiarniq (respecting others, relationships and caring for people)
Tunnganarniq (fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming and inclusive)
Pijitsirniq (serving and providing for family, community, or both)
Aajiiqatigiinniq (decision making through discussion and consensus)
Pilimmaksarniq or Pijariuqsarniq (development of skills through practice, effort, and action)
Piliriqatigiinniq or Ikajuqtigiinniq (working together for a common cause)
Qanuqtuurniq (being innovative and resourceful)
Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq (respect and care for the land, animals and the environment)
There is room for everybody Meh, chill out, it’s better for your health!