A handful of feathered residents may have a new home for themselves at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse next year.

Staff there have repurposed an old shipping container into a chicken coop equipped with an area for the birds to nest, roost and run around in the fresh air.

SA国际影视传媒淎 couple of years ago, when all of the greenhouses were being delivered to the Northern communities, a bunch of materials came up,SA国际影视传媒� said Ray Solotki, executive director of the greenhouse. SA国际影视传媒淭he shipping container's been sitting out back. It's just kind of wasted space, so my interns this summer used recycled materials and built a chicken coop.SA国际影视传媒�

According to greenhouse co-ordinator Emily Mann, intern Jeremy Cadence was responsible for its design.

Using his engineering background, he drafted diagrams for the coop and compiled a list of necessary supplies, which included old wood pallets that he transformed into roosting boxes.

SA国际影视传媒淭hen Jeremy basically started going to work on it,SA国际影视传媒� Mann said.

The goal is to have a few chickens at the coop for the greenhouse's fall fair on Sept. 23.

Solotki said the greenhouse will be getting a few chickens from Inuvik resident Les Kutny, who raises his own.

But with the cool weather already descending on Inuvik, they won't stay there permanently.

The coop is a SA国际影视传媒渇air weatherSA国际影视传媒� coop, Solotki explained.

SA国际影视传媒淔or this year, it's late in the season,SA国际影视传媒� said Mann. SA国际影视传媒淭here's really only several weeks before it would be too cold for them.SA国际影视传媒�

Having the chickens at the fall fair, however, will give people a taste of what it would be like to have the animals reside at the greenhouse next year, Mann said.

Eggs are expensive, Solotki said, adding fishing or hunting for meat is not accessible for everyone in the community either.

SA国际影视传媒淣ot every person is going to go out, pick up a gun or pick up a fishing rod,SA国际影视传媒� Solotki said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut some people could have chickens and they could have eggs.SA国际影视传媒�

Having chickens at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse would allow staff to sell their eggs, providing residents with a different option.

The eggs could also be used in the greenhouse's veggie boxes, Mann said, which people can pay into to get fresh vegetables on a weekly basis.

SA国际影视传媒淕ardening is really important, and fresh food, fresh vegetables,SA国际影视传媒� Mann said.

But so is having local meat and eggs, she added.

SA国际影视传媒淓specially somewhere in the North, where the growing season's short, you can't always just rely on fresh vegetables and fruit,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Solotki said she hopes to have free run chickens at the coop next year, estimating it could hold maybe six or seven of the animals.

Their manure could also be used for plots, while the coop would serve to show what can be done with recycled materials, she said.

However, it still needs some finishing touches, Solotki said, such as a fan to keep the smell out, traps for voles, and fencing to make sure other animals don't get in.

SA国际影视传媒淚'm just excited that it's here,SA国际影视传媒� Mann said.