Toonik Tyme kicks off with events like ice golf, igloo-building contest

It’s Toonik Tyme again in Iqaluit.

“I think there’s a good community vibe about [the festival],” said Conor Goddard, the City of Iqaluit recreation services manager.

Toonik Tyme is the outdoor festival in Iqaluit held each year in the springtime. This year, it runs from March 31 to April 9.

A range of outdoor and indoor activities are scheduled, including ice golf on opening day.

There is also an igloo-building contest and craft fair set for Saturday, a free Alianait concert on April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Aqsarniit hotel featuring Susan Aglukark and Looee Arreak, and the Toonik Tyme fishing derby on April 8.

Goddard and the city worked with local non-profit group 1-2-3 Go to organize multiple events throughout the festival. These events include family sliding day on Friday, a bonfire for youth on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the elders garbage bag fashion show at the Elders Qammaq on April 4, where people use garbage bags to make patterns for clothing.

However, the event Goddard thinks will be most popular is the Kimmirut race on Sunday starting at 10 a.m., in which riders race their snowmobiles to Kimmirut and back, a round-trip of approximately 250 kilometres.

“I expect it’s going to draw a significant crowd,” said Goddard.

Toonik Tyme was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even last year, the potential for COVID-19 made it difficult to plan ahead for the festival, Goddard said.

He said that knowing with certainty there would be a festival this year has helped from a planning perspective.

After a winter that Iqalummiut called unusually cold, Goddard said being able to hold community events makes this Toonik Tyme “that much sweeter.”

While the kids’ snowmobile race begins at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the breakwater, opening ceremonies for Toonik Tyme begin at 7 p.m. Friday and will include fireworks at 10 p.m.

A full schedule for this year’s Toonik Tyme is at 2023tooniktyme.sched.com.