A Sparrow's Birthday

Iqaluit Aquatic Centre

A new aquatic facility opened here in Iqaluit in January of this year (click here for an article on the grand opening).  From the outset the decision to build it had been controversial, and reaction from the community was mixed.  Some residents demanded to know why millions of dollars were being spent on a "pool" when roads are in disrepair, alcoholism is rampant, and social programs sorely lacking.  I have to agree with the city on this one though--the reason to build a pool is because alcoholism is rampant and social programs are lacking.  The pool does provide jobs, but more than that, it is giving the youth of Iqaluit a place to be.  Instead of running the streets, or drinking/doing drugs out of sheer boredom or depression, the Aquatic Centre offers a safe, warm, friendly place for youth to congregate.  The gym is also fantastic, not just for physical health but for mental health during the dark winter months.  It provides an opportunity to get out of your house, mingle with people, and be active.

So...how do you build a pool when you can't even dig a foundation due to permafrost?  Stantec (an engineering/design/architectural firm) designed the pool to be constructed like everything else up here: on piles (stilts).  In fact, the pool is on the second floor of the facility.  The first floor houses offices, a little cafe, and the fitness centre. This is what Stantec has to say about the facility on their website:

"The very concept of a pool is at odds with this environment, so we had to get creative.  We built the facility on a pile foundation and situated the pool tanks above grade and within the structure of the building, avoiding the potential permafrost problem and sandwiching the community areas between the ground and the pool.  Surrounded by an energy-efficient envelope, the design incorporates state-or-the-art pool water treatment, humidification control, and HVAC systems designed for a northern environment." (source)

The pool is a little slack with dress-code rules.  I've seen people swim in denim shorts and tank tops, or just regular shorts.  When poverty may be preventing people from purchasing swim suits, you need to let some things slide. There is a very limited selection of bathing suits to purchase next to the cafe (when I was there last there were maybe 10 pair of swim trunks in small sizes and two women's suits).  Sometimes Arctic Ventures also has a small rack of bathing suits. To order online you obviously need a credit card, and that is simply out of reach for some. The elementary school is planning a field trip to the pool next month. The principal reached out to the community looking for donations of bathing suits for children in grades 3, 4, and 5. Based on the response on the Facebook site, I think the school managed to find enough.

At any rate, our darling Captain Jack (who turned 8 on November 4th) decided to have his birthday party at the aquatic centre.  (Initially he said he wanted to have the party at a bowling alley.  There isn't one.)

As you can imagine, "party supplies" aren't exactly a high priority up here (Star Wars theme disposable napkins and table cloths? Not happening).  There is limited retail space, and shipping is (to say the least) expensive. Gramma helped by mailing up generic party table cloths.  Invitations were printed off using our printer at home. Just in case, I printed on the back of each one: We have a few extra swimsuits.  If you would like to borrow one, please let me know. I wanted to make sure everyone who wanted to participate could.

It didn't really say "Captain Jack
Sparrow".  Come on, now.

My next project was loot bags (treat bags, goodie bags, depending on where you are from).  Before I had kids I never thought these were a big deal. After having kids I realized all parents hand out bags of stuff to kids after they attend a birthday party.  Is it a "thank you for coming" gift?  I have no idea.  But kids really LOVE getting little bags of trashy toys.

After searching online for an evening I ordered loot bags from an online retailer elsewhere in Canada. I got a phone call that night from the store telling me they had to cancel my order as shipping to Nunavut was going to be well over $100 via UPS.  I begged them to please look into other options for shipping.  They did, and my loot bags were shipped via Canada Post for a much more reasonable cost.  It took them 3 weeks to get here, so its good I ordered ahead of time (being anal pays off again).

View of the pool at 4:30pm, on our way to get the party room ready.

Elder's room on the ground floor. Equipped with a
television, telephone, and comfortable seal-skin
upholstery.

Heading upstairs to the pool.

All the kids loved coming down this slide.

Captain Jack with friend.

Coraline had a blast too!

Warming up in the hot tub.

Pizza and cake in the party room.

Birthday parties can be tricky up here.  Coraline was invited to a party the first month of school.  That was great, as it meant she was making friends and being included.  But what was I going to do about a present?  Shipping ANYTHING takes a few weeks to get here.  We lucked out in that we had an art kit that Coraline had never opened (and this particular friend is very artistic). Relieved at having solved the problem, Coraline happily agreed to give it as a gift. I promptly ordered a couple of generic "8 year old boy gifts" and "10 year old girl gifts".  Not exactly personal, but what can you do?  They are kept in a closet as "just in case" presents.

I'm sure other parents are in the same boat when it comes to gifts, theme napkins and plates, and fancy cakes (ours was a plain slab-cake from North Mart that simply said "Happy Birthday").  It was a good lesson for me.  I don't need to stress so much about making the kids' parties "look good".  All they really want is a few friends, some time to play, and a cake. Captain Jack Sparrow had this to say: "My day was perfect."  

Up next: Nunavut claims to have more artists per capita than anywhere else in the world.  Read about how art is part of daily life in Iqaluit.