Volunteer for hockey and save the old arena

As most residents of Iqaluit have heard by now, the future of the Arnaitok Ipeelie Arena is in doubt, since city council views it as an under-utilized facility.

Another possible justification I have heard is that it may be structurally unsound. One rumour that circulated some time ago is that the RCMP was interested in the site the arena currently sits on. There may be other stories out there which I have not heard yet.

One thing that seems clear to me is that this facility is under-utilized, given the size of this community and the fact that the arena houses some of the best ice in North America, as well as having an excellent arena staff. We have been very fortunate in that we have had visitors from southern hockey programs up to work with our members and volunteers and we consistently hear these comments.

Our total enrolment in Iqaluit minor hockey this past season was 160, including those children who are registered in our Start Right/Stay Right program (a special hockey program targeting at-risk children between the ages of seven and 10). These numbers need to be much higher for a community the size of Iqaluit.

In my opinion I see only two things to focus on:

Number one, what is the main reason for closing the arena? I think this has to be made perfectly clear. If it is simply a case of not enough activity to justify its operation from a financial or practical standpoint, then that’s what we need to work on.

Of course, we’ll need to be told whether increased use of the facility will secure its future, or is it a case of the city not willing to spend money on it, regardless of how much use it gets?

The second point we need to work on, and this really is the only issue, is enrolment. Given the number of young people in Iqaluit, we should easily be able to double our enrolment.

It doesn’t matter if a kid is playing ice hockey, ball hockey, soccer, or basketball. The point is, our kids need to have some options and alternatives to unhealthy life choices. Organized sport can provide this by teaching skills and team values while emphasizing fun.

Minor hockey now provides this opportunity for approximately 160 Iqaluit youth under the age of 18. Those of us volunteering with minor hockey believe it to be an excellent sport for young people to be involved in and we believe many more young people here can be involved in it. There are really no barriers to prevent a kid from playing hockey here.

Administering a successful minor hockey program in Iqaluit requires a large number of dedicated volunteers. As our player enrollment numbers increase, so does our requirement for volunteers. Each and every kid in this community deserves the opportunity to play this great game, if they wish, and I believe it is up to each and every adult in this community to help make it possible if they can.

If you don’t know how, we’ll show you. With more volunteers, we can do more to provide the opportunities and see some real changes in our youth. The challenges our youth have are fairly plain to see. If we’re not part of the solution, we’re part of the problem.

If I were on city council considering the fate of the arena, I’d be inclined to say, “use it or lose it.” It’s up to us. If you feel as we do, now is the time to say so. Tell city council and then get involved!

Glen Higgins
President
Iqaluit Amateur Hockey Association