Toonik Tyme adds focus on getting kids to join in

There’s fresh energy steering the 60th annual Toonik Tyme spring festival.

In addition to traditional activities such as igloo-building, outdoor games and musical performances, this year’s schedule offers new all-ages events.

“It’s really important to get the word out there and let people know we do have things for kids and youth,” said Gwendolyn Natsiq, 21, who with Nikita Hainnu, 20, co-organized activities aimed at attracting a younger crowd to this year’s event.

“Building these relationships and creating these memories with each other is really a nice experience.”

Natsiq and Hainnu are both students in the teacher education program at Nunavut Arctic College.

In March, the duo hosted some Toonik Tyme-sponsored activities in Iqaluit as a warmup.

They organized a workshop to sew juggling balls made from sealskin at the Elders Qammaq and a paulaga, or bannock, making workshop on the sea ice behind the hunters and trappers organization office.

About 11 girls and boys participated in the 90-minute sewing workshop, Hainnu said.

Gwendolyn Natsiq, a Toonik Tyme youth leader, demonstrates sewing during a recent workshop at the Elders Qammaq. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Johnson)

“We had one participant finish one ball. And she absolutely enjoyed it,” she said. “She started playing with it right away.”

The youth leaders encouraged the children to take the sewing materials home to complete the project, said Natsiq.

Toonik Tyme opening ceremonies are scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 168 cadet hall.

Friday, the festival’s first full day, has been declared a civic holiday in Iqaluit.

Toonik Tyme runs until April 20.

All-ages events will include an inuksuk-building workshop Saturday at 11 a.m. as part of the igloo-making competition, and another round of palauga-making Saturday at 3 p.m. on Imiqtarviminiq Lake near Road to Nowhere.

Youth leaders are taking over the Easter egg scavenger hunt as well on Friday at the Arctic Winter Games arena.

Alongside the traditional outdoor games which will be held April 16 at 1 p.m., children will be encouraged to participate in some Inuit activities including string games and ball-throw target practice.

Children can also make their own garbage bag creations in an event being staged alongside the elders’ fashion show at the Elders Qammaq on April 18 at 1 p.m.

Adjacent to the closing ceremonies on April 20 at 7 p.m., the youth leaders plan to introduce a live trivia game show titled Qaujimaviit?, or “Do you Know?” in Inuktitut, inside the cadet hall.

This year’s Toonik Tyme community concert is set for April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Aqsarniit hotel. The musical lineup includes a performance by Toronto-based Colombian-Canadian recording artist Lido Pimienta.

A full schedule is listed on the Toonik Tyme Facebook page.