Aarluk Helps Another Dream Come True

Another long-running Aarluk project reached its fruition last week, and several of Iqaluit's residents - especially the four-footed ones - couldn't be happier.

That new blue and white van in town belongs to Dr. Leia Cunningham, Iqaluit’s first born-and-bred veterinarian.  It marks the culmination of life-long dream for Leia. For years she volunteered at local vet clinics hosted in Iqaluit by the Rotary club.  Following an undergraduate degree at Concordia University in Montreal, Leia studied veterinary medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. But her goal has always been to come home and provide much needed care for the community's pets and working animals.

For over a year, Aarluk's Chuck Gilhuly and Geoff Rigby worked closely with Leia to raise money to launch her new service. Support was obtained from the Nunavut Community Economic Development Organization, the Baffin Business Development Corporation, Kakivak Association, and Atuqtuarvik Corporation.

For the time being Dr. Cunningham will deliver service from the NunaVet van, which is fully equipped with kennels, an x-ray unit and an operating table. Within the next two years, she and her husband hope to supplement that service with a full, permanent clinic based in their home.

Full details of the story can be found here.  Aarluk is very proud of our support to the achievement of Leia's dream; she is a shining example of what can be achieved with a vision, hard work, and a love of community.