Iqaluit Nunavut New Airport

When we first arrived in Iqaluit Nunavut Canada the airport looked kinda cool.
Here is the first (not too clear) picture I took from the tarmac.

When we first started coming in fact we where coming Air Canada's Jazz airlines from Ottawa.
I guess they couldn't complete with First Air and Canadian north so that ended I believe the first year.

As much as its cool looking on the outside on the inside its got to be the worst place to get your luggage. There is no turntable, just a straight conveyor belt that comes to an end. It was a bad Idea back in 2010 (likely a bad idea when it was thought up) and its only gotten worse. The airport staff do what they can to stack everything up but its a nutty thing to watch and worse to have to participate in.

Anyway so a few years back they decided they needed to build a new airport. Construction of the new building began in May 2014. All work, including paving, will be completed in December 2017, project leaders said.

It supposed to look like this:

Designs and colors of Building in all of Nunavut and often cool and colorful. This is no exception.

I've found and taken a few pictures along the way showing the progress.

 

Mid 2015 I believe

July 2 2015

On Sept 5 2015 the roof Caught on fire

 

Reported:

The fire at Iqaluit’s new airport terminal, still under construction, which sent large plumes of black smoke billowing into the evening sky Sept. 5, caused about $1-million in damages to the building’s roof, Iqaluit’s fire chief told Nunatsiaq News Sept. 8.

“This is a major building fire, fire loss is extensive here,” chief Luc Grandmaison said.

“We’re projecting a fire loss of $1 million.”

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674iqaluit_airport_fire_cost_1_million_fire_chief_says/

November 20th 2015. Roof seems to be better

 

 

 

Aug 2016

They paved the road coming off Federal road to get to the airport

They're still working on the roof

 The South / East side

The North/West side

 

 

 As seen from the plateau

 They have also paved the other side that comes out by the Baffin Correctional Center.

 



Other Iqaluit Nunavut large outdoor art

Monument to the Nunavut Land Claims.

I have been coming to Nunavut on and off now for 3 years. Carvings of small objects are readily available throughout the Territory. In most towns people will every come up to you on the road and ask if you wish to purchase an item they recently made. Good luck having diner in an Iqaluit restaurant without being asked half a dozen times to purchase a carving, earrings or some other hand made craft.

 Iqaluit has 3 places you can purchase such art. Some which are quite beautiful in fact. Personally, I find most of the art in these stores pricey, perhaps with the exception of the “Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum”. 867-979-5537. Just recently, a buddy just bought a nice carving for his girlfriend there at a reasonable price. Another Coworker has purchased quite a few large pieces over his 3 year tour. (Can’t say I know where he purchased them) I have only purchased a few little ones. To each his own. 

Iqaluit has always been a place for large art carvings. These can be found all over town. Outside the Legislature building, in back of the Arts and Crafts  school and in front of the post office there are lots of such things, some of which are very impressive.

In the last year they started renovating the area in front of the Royal bank at  the “four corners” in Iqaluit. The ultimate reason for this was to house a monument to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, unveiled on Nunavut Day, July 9 2013, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the land claims agreement that gave birth to the territory.

I was stunned when I can back and drove past it for the first time. Surely I couldn’t be carved from stone?

So on my first weekend back, I wondered over with my camera. I could only help but stand in awe of this monument. It was made by three carvers: Paul Malliki of Repulse Bay, Looty Pijamini of Grise Fiord and Inuk Charlie of Taloyoak

 To read the full story about the statue and the 20th anniversary of the land claims agreement that gave birth to the territory go to:

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_leaders_reflect_on_20_years_of_political_change/

P.J. Akeagok, with NTI president Cathie Towtongie, helps wrap up a cover that had concealed a monument to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement that NTI unveiled at around 1:10 p.m. July 9. It was made by three carvers: Paul Malliki of Repulse Bay, Looty Pijamini of Grise Fiord and Inuk Charlie of Taloyoak. (PHOTO BY JIM BELL)

Evolution

My favorite