The new school in the country’s northernmost mainland community has reached a significant construction milestone, as the building is slated to be enclosed this winter.
The pace of building has been expedient by Arctic standards, with the main structure of the new Taloyoak High School, as well as separate mechanical and electrical rooms, having been already completed.
According to Mayor Lenny Aqigiaq Panigayak, the mechanical room will house boilers, water tanks and sewage tanks, as well as serving as a shop for technical and trade courses, such as mechanics, wood shop and electrical projects. It will be connected to the main building by pipes.
The building will also serve as a daycare and community centre, with the new high school helping to alleviate the strain on services at the existing Netsilik School.
“Having a new school in our community is a great thing... because our K-12 school is overcrowded, and all the rooms are full," Panigayak said, adding that a new facility has been needed for years because the age difference at Netsilik it too wide. "So I'm happy they will have a separate school.”
Construction of Taloyoak High School, which sits 270 km north of the Arctic Circle, began in 2022. It is expected to be complete in summer 2026.
“Over the coming months, the main building’s structural elements, including a glulam (glued-laminated) wood roof for the student commons
and cultural space, will need to be completed,” said Justin LeClair, senior associate at Parkin Architects and lead designer on the Taloyoak project.
Located on the northern edge of the community, the building forms the basis for the phase two community development plans. The overall design is intended to highlight the importance of Inuit culture from not just within, but reflecting the importance of the outdoors. The new high school also intends to encourage students to continue to learn through modern and traditional teachings, with a focus on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit programs.
Engaging with the Inuit community was key when coming up with the school’s design. The initial stages of project development included community engagement or “visioning” sessions, where the design team met with community members, including future students, to help guide the project.
“In Inuktitut, ‘Taloyoak’ means ‘large blind,’ referring to stone caribou blind or screen used for hunting, so we incorporated the concept in the school to celebrate their culture,” adds LeClair.
“There will be a skin room,” says Panigayak, “where they will be able to work on skin like caribou, and seal skins... they can store the skins in a cool room.
“While they were planning the design of the high school, they did community consultation, and that was very good," the mayor added. "They got to ask the community what they would like to see. The community tried to keep it traditional and that's where the skin room came from.”
The overall theme for the school itself, revolving around caribou, came from community consultation.
“Our community is right on the way of a caribou migration [route], so our community has caribou during the warmer weather. So they name[d] the school Pangnik School (bull caribou),” Panigayak stated. "So we are happy as a community for the new school to be built."
