Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 18/99) - Politics and personality conflicts are being blamed for the firing of internationally-respected polar bear biologist Mitch Taylor.

Taylor was let go from his job with the Government of the Northwest Territories last month, just before the annual Christmas break known as Donny Days began.

He is appealing his dismissal and refused to speak publicly about the circumstances surrounding it.

During his 13-year career with the territorial government, Taylor worked to achieve the fine balance that exists between polar bear conservation and sport hunting in the North.

"The one statement that I would give is I hope to be reinstated and put back to work for conservation and good management of polar bears, to finish up the work I've been doing," he said.

Taylor said his dismissal came as a shock, since none of his superiors spoke to him about it before it happened. He has never been so much as reprimanded.

"I never had a discussion with any of my superiors about this -- not my boss, not my boss's boss, not my deputy minister," said Taylor.

Deputy Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development Joe Handley also refused to discuss details of the firing.

Handley said he approved Taylor's dismissal after consulting with the manager who made the decision and Catherine Trumper, his deputy minister counterpart in Nunavut. Trumper said Taylor was not an employee of hers at the time the dispute that led to his firing arose, but that the decision to fire him was discussed with her.

People in the department and close to it say the firing had nothing to do with Taylor's performance and everything to do with politics and personality conflicts.

"It's bizarre," said Paul Paquet, a biologist who is working under contract to the territorial government. A biologist for 25 years, Paquet has done research in the United States and Poland as well as Canada. Apart from his involvement in the wolf study, he did research in Wood Buffalo National Park.

"His dismissal was certainly not based on his performance. You don't take a premier researcher of his type and dismiss him for the counts that he was charged with, particularly when those were found to be unwarranted."

Sources in the department say Taylor's dismissal is the result of a complaint filed by his current assistant, Peter Kritzan, and strained relations with a former assistant, Stephen Atkinson, who is now working as RWED's assistant director of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Atkinson refused to comment on his relations with Taylor or any other details surrounding the case.

A scientist who worked with Taylor said he is an excellent researcher who is very committed to his work. The associate added Taylor has little regard for bureaucratic niceties and can be very demanding of his co-workers.

Taylor admitted he is guilty of one violation of policy. While cleaning up a remote research camp, he cut holes in empty oil drums and dumped them in the ocean. He said he did not know at the time that a permit was required to do so, and regrets having done it.

Someone in the department also complained to Iqaluit RCMP that Taylor was violent and dangerous. Responding to the complaint, RCMP went to the biologist's home and seized his firearms.

The guns were returned when an investigation revealed the complaint had no merit.

Paquet said he was not terribly surprised when informed by other biologists in the department of Kritzan's alleged role in Taylor's firing.

Kritzan worked for Paquet in Ontario on a Parks Canada project as a graduate student.

"We had a lot of difficulties," said Paquet. "Over time it became nearly impossible to continue on with the work."

Kritzan refused to comment on his experience working for Paquet or his involvement in Taylor's firing.

"If you want to talk about this, you should talk to Catherine (Trumper)," said Kritzan.

Paquet said Kritzan made allegations that he and the director of the project were not qualified to do the jobs they were doing and that they were misusing funds.

"He was very critical of me, and very critical of a Parks Canada official who was directing the project, and made a lot of allegations and circulated them widely," said Paquet.

Meanwhile, Nunavut Employees Union president Doug Workman also refused to discuss the details of the case.

Workman said he was hopeful the decision would be overturned by the GNWT's Financial Management Board Secretariat, which is responsible for carrying out a review of it, but none of the appeals he has had reviewed by the FMBS have been overturned.

A decision on the appeal is due Feb. 1. If the decision is upheld, Taylor has the option of asking an independent arbitrator to review it.

That process, said Workman, can take as long as three years