Remember the teenagers, arcade owner says

Pinball wizards at Iqaluit’s arcade might have to wait a little longer before they can play into the late hours of the night.

The Players Arcade has applied to keep its doors open later on the weekends, but city council has yet to make a final decision on that request.

Right now, under the City of Iqaluit’s Business Bylaw, arcades have to shut down at midnight each night.

Andrew Riendeau, owner of the arcade, requested that the council amend the bylaw so that he can extend his hours until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. His arcade, which opened in October, has pool tables, pinball machines, an air hockey game, and is smoke-free.

On April 2, the city held a public meeting to hear if residents had any concerns about extending the arcade’s hours.

Riendeau made a brief presentation to council. “When you make your decision, I want you guys to remember all the teenagers out there. What I’m asking for isn’t too much. We’re a big city now. We’ve got to change with the times,” he said.

Only one resident attended the meeting. Mike Hine, who has two teenagers, said there’s an obvious demand in Iqaluit for recreational centres.

But some councillors wanted to get more feedback from residents before making a final decision. “The public hasn’t raised any concerns about this issue. I’m surprised that more of the public didn’t talk about this,” said Councillor Keith Irving.

Staff sergeant Mike Jeffrey, who attended the meeting, said the RCMP could help out. Jeffrey said officers can look at their files to see if there’s been any increase in crime in the area of the arcade since it opened.

The council will discuss the arcade issue again at its next meeting.