QIA unveils concept for ‘futuristic’ new Iqaluit subdivision
Planner says consultations planned over coming months for development around Aqsarniit hotel
Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s vision of its proposed new Iqaluit subdivision looks “futuristic,” says deputy Mayor Kimberly Smith. (Screenshot courtesy of QIA/City of Iqaluit)
The concept art for a planned Qikiqtani Inuit Association-led subdivision in Iqaluit looks “futuristic,” says deputy Mayor Kimberly Smith.
Councillors got a glimpse at QIA’s vision for a new neighbourhood on Inuit-owned lands surrounding Sivumugiaq Street (formerly Federal Road) and the hills behind the Aqsarniit hotel during Tuesday’s planning and development committee meeting.
QIA is leading the development in partnership with the city.
Navarana Beveridge, QIA’s director of strategic planning, was on hand to provide an overview of some of the plans which include housing, commercial spaces, elevated walkways, room for a new school and outdoor gathering spaces with barbecues, fire pits, shelters and lookout points.
The walkways and road network are “designed to work with the land,” Beveridge said, noting the elevated paths would protect the environment below.
To come up with the concept, QIA hired BIOSIS, a Copenhagen-based architecture firm with experience designing infrastructure in Greenland and Iceland.
“The Sivumugiaq development area brings together Inuit values, city planning and climate-smart design,” Beveridge said.
“We’re trying to create a neighbourhood that reflects who we are and where we belong.”
Councillors seemed impressed with what they saw.
“These are some beautiful renderings,” Smith said, following Beveridge’s presentation.
Coun. Kyle Sheppard, who echoed this excitement, asked about how much work needs to be done.
The project is currently at a “concept plan” phase, said Mathew Dodds, the city’s director of planning.
It hasn’t been revealed yet how many housing units or businesses could be part of the subdivision.
The land is currently zoned for “future development,” and some engineering study work is ongoing. At future meetings, councillors would need to approve a development scheme, lot disposals and a subdivision plan.
In response to a question from Coun. Simon Nattaq on what consultation has happened, Beveridge said the designs being presented to council were “conceptual” and that there’s “still time” to hear from residents on the final plans.
“We are planning community engagements coming up in November,” she said.
“In January, we’ll have more public engagements with everyone else.”
The cost and specific timelines for when this subdivision would be completed were not addressed at Tuesday’s meeting.
Dodds said some of the construction work could begin next year.
Beveridge also noted in her presentation that this project has been in the works for several years.
Councillors have discussed it at previous planning committee meetings. In June 2024, a public meeting was held to hear what residents wanted in the neighbourhood.
Earlier this year, Iqaluit residents likely heard explosions around the Aqsarniit hotel as crews began some of the blasting work as part of the neighbourhood development.
Hope we have enough Water in our reserves for this? I finally washed my car last month, lol.
Why don’t the city use the river that’s right there for water? I’ve never understood why the city doesn’t tap into that river with so much water that drains into the ocean.
Hi Ken; its called stupidity because a small char might be accidently sucked into a intake hose…
The city is reporting 600 days of water in reserve, based on an annual pumping program that means 235 days of additional water reserve, at current usage amounts.
Let’s think a little more….that means the current population could grow by another 64% before that reserve is fully used every year. Based on current population numbers that means the current water supply can support another 4800 people today.
Now to really blow your mind the new water cell will be constructed by 2030 and that will double the current capacity.
To summarize for you “Really G” there is enough water for you to wash your car again
You must be new here…. for one thing capital plans never happen when they’re supposed to so assuming a new water source by 2030 is a bit early when grounds not even been broken and second you can’t run the well dry and expect it to fill up again next year. A bad now load and we all turn to dust?? If you believe what you’ve been fed by the city I’ve got a nice bridge to sell you in Arizona…..
Give us one really dry year and further degradation of our already crumbling water infrastructure and that much ballyhooed reserve of yours would be gone in a couple of months.
It looks like BIOSIS took about half an hour creating an input for an AI image generator. It doesn’t even look like the landscape of the actual site, a lot of it looks totally impractical (wall-to-ceiling windows on huge portions, including actual window rooftops, seemingly no parking anywhere to be found, random prospector tents scattered all over for no apparent reason… Kinda looks like the modern version of Nakasuk school, something that seems like a good plan at the time, until it’s 20 years later.
In a industrial area
So this is saying what they wanted to build around the hotel is not happening
So this is plan B
Money was spent on this. Let that sink in.
Good? A plan is the typical starting point for a project like this.
Would you rather they build blind, with no plan? Or are you suggesting this plan should be made for us for free?
I’m suggesting that money should be spent on a grounded realistic plan and not a Mars colony.
Lots of nice big windows what could ever go wrong?
“We’re trying to create a neighbourhood that reflects who we are and where we belong.”
What does that mean?
Mythos built in the service of self esteem
Looks expensive.
Looks nice, everything is expensive up here, so why not build it with some beauty instead of a boring box?
How come the drawings don’t show the existing hotel and the look of the buildings around the actual location?
Why did they “work with the land” when the land they want to build this on, QIA just blew up the rock outcrop and put gravel – not really working with the land.
How is floor to ceiling windows with even windows on the roof “climate smart design”
All of these buildings are white. This is a big change from the city’s push for colourful new building.
Like another comment or mentioned, where is the parking. Maybe the architect is unaware that city by laws require a certain number of parking spaces based on the number of units in a building.
With the almost U shaped buildings, this will just be a snow drifting heaven.
Also who is going to build these buildings? We know if it is NCC, it will take twice as long and twice the budget. And any other contractor, with the design of these building will still cost an insane amount and won’t be worth it.
Overall, once the engineers and accountants take over from. The architect, the buildings built will be identical to the buildings currently under construction. Not a bad thing, just the reality.
The hotel is literally in the middle of each concept drawing. Use your eyes.
If the hotel is in the middle as you say if you look at the picture it is very off scale to the lots around the hotel.
The distance makes no sense
What an incredibly negative place this is … Really? The windows are too big? Give me a break.
It looks nice and is sorely needed. I’m excited to see more fleshed out renderings.
I think you are not aware that Iqaluit cannot have nice things. These beautiful big windows will soon be broken by disrespectful individuals throwing rocks or whatever at them. The rendering looks beautiful but I think this is more Iqaluit in 30 or 50 years. Until we have a majority-contributing to the economy society, this is a pipe dream. How many of these houses are public housing? As beautiful it is, sadly will be wrecked within months. It is the reality of public housing tenants, unfortunately. Maybe some sweat equity might deter the housing abuse, wishful?
Zero units will be public housing. GN builds and manages public housing, not the Inuit Orgs.
Not correct. The GN also leases space from building owners to then use as public housing. Or staff housing.
https://nihap.tunngavik.com/
While you are right, I don’t think our compatriots’ inability to respect their surroundings is a good reason to avoid artful development. The answer to this problem is very complicated and doesn’t include caving to lowest common denominators.
The minority of us already contributing deserve this development.
Heard ther gonna add smashing windows with rocks as a new sport at artic winter games 😅
Thank you, QIA for all your hard work and great planning. Your leadership is what we all look up to.
This design is great, many Inuit families will have better jobs, homes and more facilities for a better life.
Our power plant struggles with current supply.. our water supply is limited. What a waste of money that could go towards developing the peoples.
It takes two years to plan and build a simple square house up here. Then the building is so poorly built. The house needs renovations in three years. So how in hell are you going to find skilled trades to build these structures.
These people have to get serious about housing problems in Nunavut. Stop wasting money. That can be spent on the current needs of the people.
All the kids from that new neighborhood will have so much fun playing on all the industrial properties
New playground
I could see the dogs making a lot of noise and their droppings, kids walking stepping on them. The little bit of grass well not grow any more. If, you’re not born in or from the other settlements. What they would do is making, designing beautiful houses. with a good pay, they don’t care how it would look like in a future.
And there it is, Iqaluit’s 15-minute community.
The Agenda 2030, net-zero urban transition, controlled smart community.
But camouflage in neuro-marketing photos through light, color, shape and arctic romanticism.
The psychological communication strategy happening right before our eyes calls drab-looking buildings beautiful and futuristic.
No surprise Iqaluit loves it, when it is a municipality in ICLEI Canada, going back decades.
ICLEI is a United Nations–affiliated NGO that implements Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 under a climate/governance framework at the municipal level.
So of course no parking. By the time the subdivision is built, and the way Canada is going, gas cars will be 80% or more banned. The few cars scattered any old how in the photo are probably electric and out of charge.
Or biometrics have disabled the car, maybe for walking on the rocks and not the “elevated paths would protect the environment below”.
This subdivision drips with UN 17 sustainable development control goals, by all 3 partners. Especially 11, 13 and 15.
Oh, how futuristic — a 15-minute community.
Do they have arctic porch
Inuit are tired to live in apartments will they be noise proof living with attached neighbors