Iqaluit day camp to go ahead

IQALUIT — Kids in Iqaluit will have a place for fun and games this summer.

Two summer day camps will be going ahead in the capital city.

Up until this week it looked like all recreational activities in Iqaluit, including the city-run day camp, would be cancelled because of the ongoing strike.

But two groups in Iqaluit have come forward offering to run day camps.

At the July 10 city council meeting, councillors voted to accept a proposal from the John Howard Society to operate a six-week-long day camp. They also agreed to let an Iqaluit resident run an afternoon arts-and-crafts program for kids.

The decision to accept the John Howard Society’s proposal didn’t come lightly. There was concern about the society, which helps ex-convicts rehabilitate, being involved with children.

To appease those concerns, council agreed that all day-camp employees must pass a criminal background check before they can work with the children.

But even with that requirement one councillor voted against giving the John Howard Society the go-ahead.

Councillor Chris Wilson said he didn’t like the idea of the society getting involved in the care of children. He said he won’t be sending his own two young children to the camp.

“It feels really hard to support the idea of them running a day-camp,” Wilson said.

Mayor John Matthews said there’s no need for alarm. He said the strict conditions mean that children in the program won’t be in contact with people who have criminal records.

Both summer day camps are expected to begin soon.