Paula White
Northern News Services

INUVIK (July 23/99) - Leaving Inuvik is going to be hard for Cecily Hewitt.

As a matter of fact, the speech language pathologist for the region wouldn't be leaving at all if it wasn't for the fact that she will be furthering her career.

"It's kind of like an opportunity you wouldn't want to pass up," she said. "It would only be for something like that, that I would leave here, believe me."

After three years with Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services, Hewitt is heading to Yellowknife where she has accepted a job with the Department of Health and Social Services as consultant for rehabilitation services for the NWT. This includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology and audiology.

"I'll be working at developing standards for the NWT, as well as representing the interests of rehabilitation," she said. "So it's certainly going to be challenging, but I'm looking forward to it very much."

Hewitt described her job as speech language pathologist for the region as having a lot of variety and challenge. She said she found that she had to have a lot of knowledge about many areas of the profession, rather than just one or two. Her job also involved a lot of travelling.

"I'm really very busy," she explained. "There's a lot to do."

Hewitt has been a speech language pathologist for the past 20 years. She has worked in North Bay, Ont., and all through northern Ontario.

"So it was a fairly good experience of the North," Hewitt said of her time in northern Ontario. "Although it's far down (compared to Inuvik), it has strong similarities of here. So I felt at home."

Hewitt's new position with health and social services will also involve a lot of travelling, which she said suits her just fine because it means she'll be able to visit Inuvik from time to time. She said the board hasn't found her replacement yet, but it has started looking.

"I hope they'll miss me," Hewitt said, referring to the community.

"I'm also hoping they'll (the board) find someone quickly so they won't miss me for too long."

But will Hewitt miss Inuvik?

"Oh will I," she said.

"I had never planned to leave. I really liked it. But the opportunity just couldn't be passed up."