IQALUIT - Minister of Health and Social Services Tagak Curley announced March 4 the Medical Travel Services office for the Baffin region will be moved back to Iqaluit from Pangnirtung.

The move is in response to complaints from residents about poor service since the office moved to Pangnirtung in 2006. Curley said the department consulted with 11 Baffin communities last summer, and they "strongly supported" the office's recentralization to Iqaluit.

Services are expected to be relocated by April 1.

Mine congratulated

Minister of Economic Development and Transportation Peter Taptuna compared the Meadowbank mine's pouring of its first gold bar on Feb. 27 to Sidney Crosby's gold medal goal for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, calling them both "golden events."

The bar poured at the Meadowbank mine north of Baker Lake was the first gold produced in Nunavut since the closure of the Lupin mine in 2002.

Northern Lights trade show report

Peter Taptuna, minister of Economic Development and Transportation told the legislative assembly the Northern Lights Tradeshow and Exhibition in Montreal in February. was a good opportunity for groups and organizations outside of Nunavut to gain a better understanding of the culture and industry in the region.

Business, industry, tourism and cultural products for the territory were promoted, Taptuna said.

The tradeshow is held every two years.

Government sends two delegates to trade meeting

The Department of Environment will send two representatives to a meeting in Qatar to oppose the United States' motion that would put an end to the export of polar bear products from Canada.

The territorial government will be part of a Canadian delegation along with the Government of Canada which will go to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting this month.

Environment Minister Dan Shewchuk told members that having polar bears moved from the organization's Appendix II to Appendix I would have a great impact on hunters in the territory and would result in loss of revenue.

Deputy Minister of Environment Simon Awa and Drikus Gissing, GN director of wildlife, will be attending the meeting.

Good luck to Arctic Winter Games athletes

On March 4, Louis Tapardjuk, minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, told the assembly Nunavut would be sending 227 athletes and cultural performers, 37 coaches and 14 staff to the 2010 Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta.

Tapardjuk wished all participants the best of luck at the games.