OTTAWA
Honoured for her work fighting domestic violence, the Economic Club of Canada's latest recipient of its annual Voice of Hope award is former Iqaluit mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik.

Former Iqaluit mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik received one of Canada's top humanitarian awards, the Voice of Hope, for her work to raise awareness and end domestic violence Oct. 20. - photo courtesy of Economic Club of Canada

"Humbled, very humbled," Sheutiapik said, describing her reaction to the honour, which she received at an Oct. 20 gala at the Chateau Laurier.

She was singled out for her efforts to draw attention to domestic violence when she tried to convince cities across Canada to name a street Angel Street. The name was inspired by the lyrics of Lucie Idlout's song, Irene.

"I come from an early generation where we couldn't talk about violence openly," she said, "to the point where we have Angel Streets and so forth because we're at a time when we can actually talk about it."

And the Economic Club, by inviting members of Canada's most senior government, business and industry leaders, wanted to bring the issue back to the national stage.

"Her mandate, her goal was to have every major city in Canada name a street Angel Street or Angel Square," said vice-president Natasha Morano. "We found that a few took it up, but it sort of dropped off the map in 2011. This is an issue that is not going away, and through Canada's national podium, we wish to push the cause further, and get as many streets named after this program as possible."

The gala is, according to Morano, the only major humanitarian awards event in Ottawa. For Sheutiapik, it's a good time to revive the Angel Street project.

"I have not been active with it for some time because I looked at it as a city-driven initiative," she said, noting she tried unsuccessfully to convince the Nunavut Association of Municipalities to spread the naming project throughout the territory.

"That's why you don't see one (in Nunavut) other than in Iqaluit. It's not the flavour of the day. It is an issue, and we need to have a discussion about it."

Her hope is to someday eliminate the need for domestic violence shelters, like the Qimaavik shelter in Apex, which is on Angel Street.

To do that, attention needs to be drawn to more than simply domestic violence. It's a complex bundle of issues, starting with mental health and historic cultural damage, that end in such actions, she said.

"I grew up with my grandparents, who were nomadic, the first settlers to Iqaluit, and a lot has happened in my young life," she said. "I'm not quite 50 yet and I've seen a lot of change. I can name off in two to three generations what has happened.

"We have the forced relocation, the dog slaughter, the residential schools, the surname, e-numbers. From what I understand, it takes potentially seven generations to overcome some challenges that have occurred. Hopefully talking about violence will not be taboo anymore, and that opens up opportunities for the healing to start for women who recognize there are places you can go to for assistance."

She also supports strong investments in recreation facilities, saying recreation's physical, mental and emotional benefits can contribute to reducing the need for shelters.

"Some people question the time and money when it comes to this area of spending," she said. "One life affected is enough. That person blooms, becomes productive in society, creates family."

Either way, the spotlight needs to turn to include the issue of domestic violence.

"I have been at the national table," she said, noting Pauktuutit is one of the only organizations pushing the issue. "We had a one-hour discussion about polar bears. When are we going to have a discussion about this?"