The Quluaq Centre’s New Life & Brand

In early 2020, our Rankin Inlet Ilitaqsiniq Library opened in the RBC Building on Tulimaaq Avenue. Part reincarnation of the old high school library and part something completely new, it’s where we held our first parents and tots programs in Rankin.

Today it’s named the Quluaq Centre, and it’s much more than just a library. It is a community hub, a resource centre and a third space named in honour of our beloved Elder Catherine Quluaq Pilakapsi.

Quluaq worked in the Ilitaqsiniq Library from day one. She played an essential role in creating the warm, welcoming space it is today. She helped to set up our early childhood development services and rooted our literacy activities in Inuit values, culture and community.

“She loved being Inuk,” says Panikuluk Kusagak, Quluaq’s granddaughter and the Centre’s manager. “She cherished that part of her life and she wanted others to embrace it as well.”

New Name, New Logo

After renaming the space and completing renovations in summer 2024, the Quluaq Centre needed a distinct brand. With staff input and help from our design partner, Spruce, we chose a logo to best represent Quluaq’s passion for empowering Inuit.

It’s similar to the Ilitaqsiniq logo and has its own meanings. The open book invites learning and connection. The negative space in the centre symbolizes safety and inner strength. And the fanning purple petals above represent the relationship between growth and warmth that the sun, flowers, and children all share.

Quluaq’s fondness for floral prints and her love of bright colours also played a role. “Every time anyone sees something purple we always think of her,” says Panikuluk.

More Space, More Services

Before the renovations and its new name, the Ilitaqsiniq Library had about 500 visitors a month. Today, over 100 people walk through the Quluaq Centre doors every day.

The Quluaq Centre drop-in programs include:

• Nutararalu: for caregivers with children between 2 and 4. Nieces, nephews, grandkids, little siblings and their caregivers can learn together, eat snacks, make art and rest.
• Uvagut: for children between 8 and 12 and their caregivers. Where family members and friends can learn to sew and cook, craft clothing and jewellery, decorate cookies and cakes, and more.
• Afterschool: for children from Kindergarten to Grade 5. Our youngest students get the opportunity to grow through literacy activities, games, and essential skills like cooking and baking.
• Public visits: for anyone in Rankin. Our café and kitchenette spaces are ideal for quiet working or meeting up with friends on comfy couches.

The Centre also includes a Helping Hands Cupboard, where program participants can shop for 10 free food items a week. And a lending library, of course: with stories, novels and non-fiction books for all ages are available to borrow.

To be loved by Quluaq was to feel compassion, warmth, and unwavering support. We hope that people who walk through the Quluaq Centre’s doors feel that love.

Thank you to the sponsors Agnico Eagle, Food Banks Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Service Corps, and the Rankin Inlet Community Wellness Fund for helping us accomplish this work.