Floating pontoons will be built and a multi-purpose house will be established.

The municipal council of Avannaata Municipality approved at its meeting at the end of March that floating pontoons will be built and a multi-purpose house (a house with various services, ed.) will be built in the settlement of Qeqertat in the Qaanaaq Fjord to replace the service house and the old school church.

Multi-purpose house

The house that now serves as a service house, school, church, guesthouse and meeting place is very old.

- The building used as a service house is from the end of 1961 and is very old, explains Ujuut Olsen (S), proposer.

The house has no water supply, is heated by a boiler similar to a ship, and an office with sensitive personal information that cannot be locked securely.

Today there are no public bathrooms in the area. Bathing is sometimes done by filling a tub with water in the service building, subject to limited facilities. This is considered to have negative effects on health, welfare and living conditions.

The current school, which is used as a church, community center, leisure center and guesthouse, is outdated and energy-unsatisfactory, as it uses a lot of fuel for heating. This is stated by the municipality in a statement at the municipal council meeting in Avannaata Municipality.

During the tourism committee's study trip to Avanersuaq, the need was confirmed.

- The committee members saw for themselves how great the need is, says Ujuut Olsen.

The agenda for the municipal council in Avannaata Municipality describes that the multi-purpose building can contain the following functions: Office, service facilities such as bathrooms and laundry rooms, health facilities such as medicine rooms, school and daycare center.

Can you confirm that budgets and decisions on construction will be included in next year's planning? asks Sermitsiaq.

- We have already included it in the budget planning for the coming years. We in the municipality's coalition, Siumut and Naleraq, are of course interested in the construction elements also becoming part of the negotiations on the economy in the coming years and being realized, says Ujuut Olsen.

Construction of floating pontoons

In the summer, Qeqertat is a central location for hunters during the narwhal hunting season, and the aim is to make them more secure with floating pontoons.

The area is used by hunters and fishermen, among other things, to refuel and stock up on provisions.

To ensure that travel to and from Qeqertat can take place under safer conditions, and to generally improve conditions for users, that is the goal, according to the minutes of the municipal council meeting in Avannaata Kommunia.

- There is a need for safer conditions when loading, provisioning and also when refueling, says Ujuut Olsen.

The municipal council in Avannaata Kommunia has approved the proposal to establish floating pontoons, and it is expected that they will be established this summer, after the ship's arrival.

- We expect from the municipal council that the floating pontoons on Qeqertat can be put into use this summer after the ship's arrival, we also hope and expect that, says Ujuut Olsen.