The Rankin Inlet recreation department has been going full speed with a number of summer projects.
The hamlet recently opened its Area 6 playground, making it the fifth playground in the community the department of recreation maintains.
Rec co-ordinator David Clark said a new playground is always a valuable addition to the community.
A new playground in Area 6 is a big hit with kids in the neighbourhood when it officially opened in Rankin Inlet on Friday, June 28, 2019. Darrell Greer/NNSL photo
He said this summer promises to be one of the busiest in recent memory, with a number of programs, camps and special activities planned in July and August.
“We have a good partnership with (charitable organization) ACTUA, which has been bringing its week-long science camp and other programs to Rankin Inlet for quite a while now,” said Clark.
The baseball program to introduce kids aged five to 10 to the game is now in its third year, with the kids taking to the field every Tuesday and Thursday evening to have some fun by hitting the ball and running the bases.
“The program is all about having fun while learning the basics of the game of baseball.”
The summer lineup in Rankin also includes two programs making their first appearance in the community.
The Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut will be hosting a week-long sports camp at the artificial-turf field from July 22 to 26 that will include flag football, ultimate Frisbee, soccer and a handful of other outdoor field sports.
Clark said the Mining Matters program is underway now at the rec hall.
He said the not-for-profit organization is having its camp funded by Agnico Eagle Mines in Rankin this summer.
“Participants will learn a lot about different rocks and minerals at the camp, as well as explore plant and animal life with people from the University of Saskatchewan.
“The campers will also get to learn how life as we see it around us would not exist today without the rocks and minerals being extracted from the Earth.
“As far as the number of participants each camp or program can accommodate – we can have up to 100 kids in youth softball, 25 in Mining Matters, 40 in the summer-sports camp and 30 at the ACTUA science camp, and that’s in addition to the 70 kids we’ve already booked in our regular summer day camp.”
Clark said it’s shaping up to be a fun-filled summer for the kids, but there’s still one thing missing he’d like to see back.
He said the hamlet is hoping to, one day, have a swimming pool back in the community again.
“A swimming pool is very important to me, so it’s going to be the next big item on my list to strive for once the new arena opens.
“I started this job 12 years ago with a bunch of projects I wanted to get done, and the new arena is the last one I had on my original list
“So now it’s time for me to make a new list.”