Soup kitchen re-opens

Iqaluit’s soup kitchen re-opened this Monday after being closed for the last two months because of funding hold-ups.

The soup kitchen has secured $60,000 from federal sources, as well as an additional $10,000 from the Government of Nunavut.

But that’s still far less than the $100,000 the soup kitchen requested in the beginning of the year to cover their costs.

“I don’t really know how long that money is supposed to last,” said Capt. Russ Blanchet with the Anglican Church Army.

Board members will meet this weekend to discuss such issues. Until then, everyone is busy making sandwiches and boiling soup, Blanchet said.

“We’re just sort of winging it this week. We’ve had enough people each day,” Blanchet said.

Meanwhile, the Anglican church is still waiting for city council to approve the development permit to build a new building to house the soup kitchen, Blanchet said.

The current building, found across the street from Iqaluit’s Legion, is owned by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. But QIA is beginning to develop other plans for the building, Blanchet said, which makes him wonder if the soup kitchen will need to find a new home before their construction plans are complete.