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Reconstruction begins for Igloo shaped Cathedral
August 19, 2010 – Ottawa, Ontario. The Anglican Diocese of The Arctic, in partnership with Nunavut Construction Corporation (NCC), Triodetic Inc. and First Air, is pleased to announce the beginning of construction of the new St. Jude’s Cathedral in Iqaluit.
The construction of St. Jude’s Cathedral is highly anticipated among Iqaluit residents, since the original Cathedral was destroyed in 2005. The Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of The Arctic, which covers the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nunavik (NorthernQuebec), and has the greatest area of any Anglican diocese in the world. The cathedral is the parish church for the parish of Iqaluit and also serves as the centre of many social programs. The capacity is expected to be close to 400 people.
“The Cathedral is a pillar in the Iqaluit community, as well as across the entire Arctic, and we are grateful for the many donations and efforts that have gone into making this possible,” says Garth Hampson, Ottawa spokesperson representing St. Jude’s Cathedral. “As a former RCMP officer stationed in the Arctic, I understand the importance of having northern facilities for social action groups out of Iqaluit.”
The Cathedral’s unique igloo design, a dome shaped creation that was designed and created in Arnprior, Ontario, is estimated to cost approximately $6.5 million with the majority of funds coming from donations and fundraising.
Building materials will be transported via three separate First Air Boeing 767 charter trips originating in Ottawa. The cumulative weight for these shipments is over one hundred eighty thousand (180,000) pounds of building material for the construction of the Cathedral.
“We are proud to have assisted in this milestone event for the city of Iqaluit,” says Chris Ferris, VP Marketing and Sales for First Air.
First Air has been connecting the people of the North for over 60 years and offers scheduled service to more northern destinations than any other airline. The Inuit-owned airline has over 1000 employees, of which more than 450 work and live in the North.
For more information about St. Jude’s Cathedral, or to make a donation, visit www.arcticnet.org/~igloocathedral/
Contact:
Jennifer Alldred
Manager, Marketing Communications
First Air
Phone: 613-254-6395
jalldred@firstair.ca
or
Garth Hampson
Representative
St. Jude’s Cathedral
Tel: (613) 824-2350