Arctic BaySA国际影视传媒檚 closed daycare will soon open its doors again, thanks to a $50,000 donation from Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was very celebratory,SA国际影视传媒� said the companySA国际影视传媒檚 vice president of community and strategic development Udlu Hanson about the cheque presentation event.

SA国际影视传媒淭here was a lot of clapping and appreciation, understanding that this is a major step towards opening the daycare.SA国际影视传媒�

The re-opening of Tununirusiq Daycare will provide much-needed spaces, enabling parents and guardians to enter the workforce. Mayor Frank May approached the mining company for assistance.

SA国际影视传媒淭his donation from Baffinland will SA国际影视传媒� give us the opportunity to reopen our doors and make plans for the daycare. It will also help us begin establishing a foundation for an Early Childhood Resource Centre, which would house both the daycare and students from the Aboriginal Head Start Program,SA国际影视传媒� stated May.

The Arctic Bay daycare is on the list to receive Pirurvik Preschool trainers who will bring their award-winning, made-in-Nunavut early childhood education program to the community.

May noted Ruth Oyukuluk, Julian Oyukuluk, Lena Qaunaq and Baffinland employee Natsiq Kango were the driving force behind reestablishing the daycare.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey actually showed us around the building that will be used, that was used in the past, for the daycare that had to shut down,SA国际影视传媒� said Hanson, adding the women explained what would need to be done for the building to be child-ready.

SA国际影视传媒淥f course, for any of this to happen, any of the training and all the other costs associated with opening the daycare, this wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 going to be realized unless they had the physical space for it, a usable space. This was really the first step. And thereSA国际影视传媒檚 really not much funding available, bricks-and-mortar type funding for daycares and for communities that want to open a daycare. They said this is the first stepping stone for them to do that.SA国际影视传媒�

As Hanson points out, Nunavut lags behind in daycare spaces. After the announcement, the community held a feast. Martha Qaunaq, who originally opened the daycare in the early 2000s, recited a special prayer to kick-off the event.

The funding comes from a pot of money Baffinland calls the donations and sponsorship fund. That fund is for the five North Baffin communities the company seeks to supports: Iglulik, Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Hall Beach and Arctic Bay.

The priority areas for the fund are health and safety, education, art, sports and culture, community engagement, and mining events and mining education. The company has sponsored teams to participate in sporting events, for example, and it bought one community a Zamboni. It also contributed to the eldersSA国际影视传媒� gathering recently held in Iglulik by flying elders from its affected communities with its plane.

SA国际影视传媒淲e also provided a cash donation to help with the kitchen,SA国际影视传媒� said Hanson.

Baffinland also helps communities with proposals to leverage other funding.

Projects are community driven.

SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 act on anything unless itSA国际影视传媒檚 been requested by the community, and theySA国际影视传媒檙e almost all volunteer-led initiatives,SA国际影视传媒� said Hanson.

While in the community for the announcement, Hanson met a young mother who runs the local food bank from a seacan.

SA国际影视传媒淪heSA国际影视传媒檚 worried in the months to come, the weeks to come, when the snow comes and the darkness comes, sheSA国际影视传媒檚 not going to be able to do it. Because theySA国际影视传媒檝e had difficulties keeping up with their financial statements as a society, sheSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit strapped. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e helped a number of the communities with their food banks by providing $50,000 donations. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e hoping to help her,SA国际影视传媒� said Hanson.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is something weSA国际影视传媒檒l have to figure out with her how to move forward. The need is there. And the volunteers are there. SheSA国际影视传媒檚 got volunteers lined right up. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 just the governance and all the support thatSA国际影视传媒檚 required to see a society succeed and continue to succeed and serve the needs of the community.SA国际影视传媒�

Hanson encourages anyone from the five communities with an idea to approach the companySA国际影视传媒檚 community representatives.