More than three years after a suspicious fire destroyed the Anglican church in Kinngait, Nunavut, construction is finally beginning on its replacement.
The January 2023 blaze — one of two church fires in days — gutted a community anchor in a hamlet with few public buildings to spare. Rebuilding in the Arctic means sealifts, short seasons and steep costs. That it's happening at all is the story.
In small northern communities, a church isn't decor — it's the hall, the shelter, the gathering point. Kinngait rebuilding its own is self-determination in work boots.
Sources: CBC News. Context from the Young Hadene newsroom.
The Anglican church, destroyed in a suspicious January 2023 fire.
Construction of a replacement is finally underway.