Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 24, 2007

ARCTIC COAST - After just one term in the legislative assembly Calvin Pokiak is in a four-way race for Nunakput.

Pokiak narrowly defeated incumbent Vince Steen in 2003 when 62 per cent of the 872 registered voters cast ballots.

Challenging Pokiak are Tutoyaktuk mayor Jackie Jacobson, Vince Teddy, chief negotiator for the Inuvialuit Regional Corp. and Eddie Dillon, chair of the Tutoyaktuk Community Corp..

Health care, education and housing are the issues on the minds of voters in Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour.

Energy resources are beginning to play an increasing role in the region, but tourism, outfitting, hunting, fishing, trapping and traditional crafts dominate the economy of the northern-most of the Northwest Territories 19 ridings.

Teddy said the MLA's job should be to consult communities.

"People want an MLA who'll report and seek advice from communities in Nunakput - all four of them," he said.

This is a view shared by Jacobson, who promises to start an MLA newsletter and consult community elders.

Dillon said a big issue is retention of health and education staff.

"We have to retain staff. If you don't have consistency in the guidance of the staff, you have people re-learning the community and the system over and over," he said.

Pokiak said one of his priorities is housing in the Nunakput region, and campaigned for bringing RCMP to Sachs Harbour.

Peter Malgokak, mayor of Ulukhaktok, said Nunakput communities rarely see their MLAs.

The communities' remoteness and reliance on shipping barges also impedes government services.

In Sachs Harbour a lack of construction materials delayed the arrival of RCMP by an entire winter.

The island hamlet has been without police since 1992, and its plans for a new detachment were delayed again this year.

Small construction projects in Nunakput communities often cost much more than the same projects further south, because of material shipping costs.

One large issue for Tuktoyaktuk is the possible creation of a land road.

NWT Premier Joe Handley has said a road could help Canada control the Arctic, which is increasingly open to international visitors and shipping vessels.

While the federal government has not yet agreed to fund the $700 million project, it is being discussed.

Tuktoyaktuk town councillor and former mayor Merven Gruben said Nunakput's next MLA will need to lobby government at the federal level.

"The all-weather road) is going to be one of the biggest issues for this new government. We need more pressure on the feds," he said.

Some communities such as Paulatuk are also building facilities such as youth centres. "We need more things happening, more things for the kids to do. We need more training for the pipeline," said Gruben.