Youth centre opens doors

The city’s youth now have another venue to call their own.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association, acting on a request from the Baffin Regional Youth Department, opened a centre for young people at its blue dome building this week.

Under the one-year pilot project, youth will have access to a centre equipped with a fitness room, a games room and Internet access.

Pauloosie Kilabuk, an Iqaluit representative on QIA, announced the centre’s opening at the city council meeting on Jan. 8.

He said young people wanted a venue to hang out in that’s centrally located. He said some youth felt the youth centre in the Arctic Winter Games arena is too far away from Iqaluit’s downtown core.

The building will also house Youth Department offices and a soup kitchen. QIA will run its summer kids program there as well.

Funding to operate the centre and run the programs came from the Department of Canadian Heritage.