Iqaluit dives into a 30-year plan

JOHN THOMPSON

Iqaluit residents and city staff gathered at the Arctic Winter Games Arena two weeks ago to discuss what Nunavut’s capital might look like in 30 years, or even a century.

“This building is a fine example, and I think it’s appropriate we’re holding it here,” said Elisapee Sheutiapik, Iqaluit’s mayor.

Whether she was talking about the hard work of volunteers who built the arena, or the shortsightedness of planners who didn’t conduct a geotechnical survey prior to its construction, was unclear.

But the arena’s cracked and sloping floor, which continues to sink into the tundra and will likely cost millions of dollars to repair, did seem to represent one reason why a bit more planning could be a good thing.

The same could be said for the meeting itself, which was only advertised for several days prior to being held, and caught many residents by surprise. Despite this, a crowd of about 30 residents and city staff listened to Samantha Anderson and Isabel Budke from the International Centre for Sustainable Communities, a group based in Vancouver, about developing a long-term plan for the city.

They also pitched the idea of Iqaluit joining a network of 30 cities interested in long-term planning. The membership would cost $750 a year, and includes two workshops held each year, for the next two years.

But resident Don Sinclaire-Chenier wondered whether Iqaluit had much in common with the larger cities involved, like Calgary, Halifax and Vancouver.

“It’s like me trying to play in the NBA,” he said.

Sheutiapik said there was a financial incentive for Iqaluit to join, because cities interested in tapping into federal gas tax money need to demonstrate they have a long-term vision, and joining the network could do this.

But Linda Gunn, CEO of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, corrected the mayor with news that this requirement has already been taken care of by the Government of Nunavut, which negotiated a one-size-fits-all application for all of Nunavut’s communities.

Still, by the meeting’s end a noticeably irritated Sheutiapik said that developing a plan for the future was important.

“We don’t have a vision. I know we have a few things going on, but we forget about them a few days after,” she said.

One example she offered was news that a Nunavut Heritage Centre would be built in Iqaluit. Sheutiapik suggested that the city could collaborate with the GN to include an arts and cultural centre in the building.

Some residents in attendance used the meeting to vent their grievances, with one woman complaining Iqaluit was never really ready to become a capital city. But others were more upbeat.

“I’m feeling optimistic,” said Lorne Levy. “You can only move forward.”

“I’m glad to hear your fees are so low,” he added.

With no clear direction from residents, Sheutiapik said they’d delay any membership bid, but she’d continue to consider the network’s merits.