Coral Harbour children make do after 8 months without a playground

Adina Tarralik Duffy of Coral Harbour, Nunavut, wasn't going to post the photo at first.

But seeing two young girls playing on a makeshift teeter totter, because there is no school playground, was too much.

"All week I had been seeing these girls taking 2x4s from around town and balancing them over the rocks to use them as makeshift teeter totters. I mean, it just kind of broke my heart," Duffy said.

The photo has been shared dozens of times on social media this week.

Coral Harbour's Sakku School has been without a playground for eight months. The old playground was torn down to make way for one bought by the local district education authority in 2014.

Duffy said the equipment has been sitting in boxes since then.

She said at first she was told they were waiting on a technician. Then after crews showed up last year, she said they told her they didn't have any directions.

Vandalism blamed for delays

Duffy's photo seems to have caught the attention of her MLA.

Aivilik MLA Steve Mapsalak asked for an update on the project in the legislature Tuesday.

Education Minister Paul Quassa blamed the delays on vandalism and said construction will start on August 12.

The playground equipment was bought by the Coral Harbour District Education Authority in 2014 and arrived in the community the same year, Quassa told the legislature.

The department hired a contractor to set up the playground last summer. When the crew arrived, they found no foundation and missing parts.

"When they started taking out the playground material, we found that there was vandalism involved. There were no nails or other required material," said Quassa.

The material was ordered but arrived too late to install the playground last year.

• 'Our kids deserve to have this': Inuvik, N.W.T., ecstatic about new playground

'Really tugs at your heart'

Duffy said she will be happy if the playground goes up in August.

"When you walk around the community and you see the lack of resources for the children, it just really tugs at your heart," she said.

"To see them get the playground that they deserve, is a small step towards the community we want to have."

While the Sakku School does not have a playground, Duffy said equipment is installed at the preschool and daycare. However, she said that equipment is buried by snow all winter.