Nanook school qammaq burns

Apex residents awoke to a sad scene early this morning: the qammaq at Nanook School burned last night, leaving only a charred frame of the structure remaining. “This structure was the centrepiece of our land-based outdoor education program,” wrote Nanook principal Matthew Knickelbein in a Facebook post this morning. “Much of the materials and labour were donated by local businesses and organizations, as well as lots of individual time and effort. We will rebuild. We will not let this setback curb our enthusiasm for providing such important educational opportunities to our students in our community. We will be organizing a fundraising campaign in the next few days… after we have a moment to grieve our loss.” In a tweet, Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern said she plans to work with the school and local businesses to rebuild. “I will ask the school principal Matt Knickelbein what is needed and happy to contact local businesses especially contractors about donations whether cash or materials,” she wrote. (Photo by Emma Tranter)