Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 26/05) - There was good news to be heard at the round-table discussions between Kivalliq and Manitoba delegates earlier this month, says the mayor of Rankin Inlet.

Lorne Kusugak says talks on the Manitoba to Kivalliq road project were decidedly upbeat this time around.

Rankin Inlet Mayor Lorne Kusugak was pleased with the update he heard on the Manitoba to Kivalliq road project during round-table discussions earlier this month.

He says the project appears to be progressing nicely.

"I asked about the road during our discussions in hopes there would be some new information and not the same old rhetoric we've heard 100 times before," says Kusugak.

"I was pleased to learn people are visiting every Kivalliq, First Nations and Manitoba community involved with the road to gather feedback on the project.

"They're also compiling history on the land, such as the migratory patterns of caribou, and showing everyone the route they want to take with the road."

Kusugak says the delegates were assured every procedure being undertaken is part of the normal process for such a mammoth project.

He says completing the public-consultation process will be a positive step forward.

"We're seeing actual physical steps being taken, and that's a step in the right direction if we're going to see this road built in our lifetime.

"Seeing travel-and-meeting dates being set in Kivalliq communities is a better scenario than a group of engineers studying the project out of an office in Toronto.

"And, money is being spent in the region on hotels and the hiring of people to co-ordinate the visits to many of our communities by these consultants."

Kusugak says there's still advantages for Kivalliq delegates to attend round-table discussions with Manitoba.

He says Manitoba and Kivalliq are neighbours - sharing many business suppliers and hunting areas - and the meetings give everyone a better understanding of the challenges the other faces.

"There is also the potential to help with future negotiations because the people around the table will have got to know each other.

"When people continue meeting with each other, relationships are formed and trust is built as they get to know each other.

"Those aspects alone make the discussions valuable to our region."