Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (July 22/02) - Moving South for a few years to allow his kids to pursue their post-secondary goals paid off for both David Webster and the North.

Although David Webster will miss the North and many of the projects he helped create, such as the exhibits at the Inuit Heritage Centre in Baker Lake, he's looking forward to full retirement and spending more time with his family. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

His eldest daughter, Debbie, studied archaeology at Carleton University and works in the North.

Another daughter, Linda, took communications at Algonquin College, also in the national capital, and now works with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in Ottawa after spending some time with the network in Yellowknife. Webster's son, John, went to both Carleton and Algonquin in business management and now works with Parks Canada in Iqaluit.

The third daughter, Diane, just finished anthropology at Carleton, while the family's youngest child, Peter, is still with his parents.

Having his children attend school in Ottawa paid its biggest personal dividend to Webster this past year.

While visiting his daughter in Ottawa, Webster suffered a major heart attack.

The doctors told him if he hadn't been so close to a major medical facility he would have died.

"You know, I can honestly say I've been lucky like that throughout most of my life," says Webster, who is somewhere in his 50s.

"Events just seem to flow for me and that was a perfect example. If I hadn't been so close to the heart centre in Ottawa when the attack struck -- well, we wouldn't be having this conversation now."

Doctors told Webster he had to leave the North so that he could be close to the proper medical facilities should his heart give him more problems in the future.

"The stress of what I've been trying to accomplish at the Inuit Heritage Centre, plus being elected mayor this past December were taking their toll on me. I could see my health deteriorating," he says.

"As much as I'm going to miss the North, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to full retirement and just taking it easy and spending more time with my family."

Webster says he's made many friends during his years of involvement with the North and he's going to miss each and every one of them.

However, he's quick to point out that there's more than 1,000 Inuit living in Ottawa and many ways to stay actively involved with developments in the North.

Webster says every day, it seems, planes are bringing Nunavummiut to Ottawa for various meetings.

"Inuit who live in Ottawa have all sorts of activities, gatherings and a huge Christmas party. So, when you live in Ottawa, if you want, it's almost like living in an Inuit community. It's seems somewhat ironic to say, but there will always be a large piece of my heart living in the Kivalliq."