Whale Cove may soon have a functional arena again, after the community facility has been out of use for years due to significant maintenance issues.
“The ball’s rolling,” said Oliver Shipton, who was elected mayor in the fall municipal elections.
As of speaking to Kivalliq News, Shipton said workers were due in the community mid-January and all the boilers and parts were already in town.
“The arena should be fixed within a couple weeks of their arrival,” he said.
He added that the issue with the arena was not just the boilers, but needing to redo the entire heating system.
“They’re estimating a few weeks (to repair it), but we’ll see how it goes,” Shipton said. “We’re pushing them to get it done as soon as possible. That’s a huge priority for myself and our councillors, to have that arena up and going, so we’ve been working really hard on that.”
In office for a few months now and in his first political role, Shipton said it’s been a learning curve in the mayor’s chair, but it’s going well. Early in the new year, Premier P.J. Akeeagok and a group of ministers visited the community and met with the municipal council.
“It was nice to have them here because we were able to go over our capital plan and projects we have coming up for 2024,” said Shipton, adding that Akeeagok gave clams to community members as they toured the town and visited different places.
High on the list of projects is a new fire hall and four-bay garage, but those plans have been held up due to contamination on the site from the old Qulliq Energy Corporation power plant, said the mayor.
Since speaking to Kivalliq News, Shipton said council decided on a new, uncontaminated location for the fire hall, with the aim for it to be completed in 2024-25.
The community is also looking at a new Kivalliq Inuit Association cultural centre, and council expressed to the premier and ministers how much Whale Cove needs gravel to accommodate its building plans, such as two modular homes and a new six-plex.
ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᑦ ᓯᐊᕐᕆᔮᕐᕕᒃ ᕿᓚᒥᐅᔪᒥᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖕᓇᖅᓯᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᓯᐊᕐᕆᔮᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᖅ ᐊᔪᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᖃᑉᓯᐊᕐᔪᖕᓂᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᑉᓗᒋᑦ.
“ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐋᓕᕗ ᓯᑉᑕᓐ, ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᐃᔭᒧᑦ ᐅᑭᐊᒃᓵᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.
ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᑉᑕᓐ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᐊᕋᔭᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᑎᕈᔪᐊᓂᑦ-ᑕᖅᖀᓐᓇᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐆᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒦᓕᐊᓂᒃᖢᑎᒃ.
“ᓯᐊᕐᕆᔮᕐᕕᒃ ᐋᖅᕿᒃᓯᒪᓕᕋᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᕐᕉᓪᓗᐊᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓰᖕᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᑎᑭᖅᖄᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ.
ᐃᓚᓯᑉᓗᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓯᐊᕐᕆᔮᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐆᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᖑᙱᑦᑐ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᓗᒃᑖᖅ ᐆᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᐅᒪᔪᑦ.
“ᖃᑉᓯᐊᕐᔪᐃᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᓅᓂᐊᕋᓱᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ (ᐋᖅᕿᒃᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ), ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓂᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ,” ᓯᑉᑕᓐ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ. “ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓵᓕᑎᓐᓇᓱᒃᑕᕗᑦ. ᐊᖏᔫᔪᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᑎᔭᒃᓴᐅᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔩᓪᓗ, ᓯᐊᕐᕆᔮᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖕᓇᖅᓯᓗᓂ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᒃᓱᕉᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᕗᑦ.”
ᒪᐃᔭᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᑉᓯᐊᕐᔪᐃᑦ ᑕᖅᕿᓅᓕᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᕆᑉᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᒐᕙᒪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓ, ᓯᑉᑕᓐ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᒪᐃᔭᐅᑉ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖓᓃᖦᖢᓂ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ᐅᑭᐅᖅ ᓄᑖᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎ P.J. ᐊᕿᐊᕈᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᑦ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒋᑉᓗᒋᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔩᑦ.
“ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᒡᕙᓃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᖁᑎᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓕᕆᔪᖕᓇᓚᐅᕋᑉᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ 2024-ᒥᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᑉᑕᓐ, ᐃᓚᓯᑉᓗᓂ ᐊᕿᐊᕈᖅ ᐊᒻᒨᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.
ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖑᔪᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓂᑦ ᓄᑖᖅ ᐃᑯᐊᓪᓚᒃᑐᓕᕆᕝᕕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᑕᒪᓂᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᓕᒃ ᓄᓇᒃᑰᕈᑕᐅᓯᕝᕕᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᖅᖃᖓᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᖃᓕᖅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐱᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᖁᓪᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐆᒻᒪᖅᖁᑎᓕᐅᕆᕝᕕᖓᓐᓂᑦ.
ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᖅᖄᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ, ᓯᑉᑕᓐ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ, ᐱᑦᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᖃᙱᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᑯᐊᓪᓚᒃᑐᓕᕆᕝᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑐᕌᒐᕆᔭᐅᑉᓗᓂ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ 2024-25-ᒥᑦ.
ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᕿᓂᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᖅᖁᓯᑐᖃᓕᕆᕝᕕᒃᑖᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔩᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᓯᐅᕋᖅᑖᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᒡᓗᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐃᓚᖓᒍᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᕙᒌᖅᑑᒃ ᐃᒡᓗᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᓂᓖᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᐃᑦ ᑲᑎᕐᒪᔪᒧᑦ.