Cornwall.ca — Officials from the northern community of Pond Inlet visited Cornwall City Hall on Wednesday, June 5th to thank the City for its recent donation of a Zamboni.

Mayor Bob Kilger welcomed a delegation that included Pond Inlet Mayor Jaykolassie Killiktee, Senior Administrative Officer Mike Rudkin and Executive Assistant Tina Enookolo.

The delegation presented Mayor Kilger with some Certificates of Appreciation and a couple of gifts, including a beautiful narwhal sculpture created from a piece of whale vertebrae. The unique hand-carved piece was created by a Pond Inlet artist.

“I’m stunned by it,” said Mayor Kilger in reaction to the gift. “This is a beautiful gift and it will hold a special place here at City Hall.”

In 2012, Cornwall City Council agreed to donate a surplus Zamboni to Pond Inlet after receiving a request from the community through the assistance of Cornwall resident Jean-Paul Paulin. It arrived via ship in early October.

Pond Inlet is a community of approximately 1,600 people located on the northeastern tip of Baffin Island in the Territory of Nunavut.

“It’s the first Zamboni the community has ever had,” said Mayor Killiktee, speaking through a translator. “We really appreciate the donation.”

Mr. Rudkin said with the Zamboni, it now only takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ice for action, compared to a few hours. This, in turn, will allow the community to host additional tournaments and special events.

“The staff loves it. The community thinks it’s great,” he said. “Everybody was ecstatic to get it.”

Mr. Rudkin said they will be purchasing additional propane to ensure they can use the Zamboni to full capacity next season.