Re: the elimination of a number of sports at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games
I find it hard to believe that Greenland would cancel the dreams of so many young athletes and claim it is due to lack of infrastructure. Having worked in the Arctic for a number of years I am well aware of a number of portable, easily transportable and inexpensive options.
From right here in the North we have Marsh Lake Tents and Events that have done exemplary work supplying venues of many types. I’m sure they would be very helpful in providing facilities for skating, hockey and curling and even gymnastics.
As for accommodations, Weatherhaven manufactures, rents, sells and leases easily transportable camps that are very comfortable and well suited to Arctic conditions. While working up north of here, I stayed in a 250-man camp that fit in 25 20-foot containers. With bunks, a camp like this could easily house 400 to 500 athletes and participants during the Games at a minimal cost compared to building something permanent.
I’m sure there are many other options in this vein, and I urge anyone else with knowledge of them to communicate them to the Arctic Winter Games committee in the hopes that we can convince Greenland to allow all of our young athletes the opportunity to participate in what could be the biggest sporting event of their lifetime.
Paul Winje
Whitehorse