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Nunavut Tunngavik urges 'no' vote in referendum

NNSL staff
Northern News Services
Monday, April 25, 2016

IQALUIT
The Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. executive committee does not support the sale of municipal lands at this time, president Cathy Towtongie stated in a news release in advance of a territory-wide referendum scheduled for May 9.

In accordance with the Nunavut Agreement, the referendum will ask voters whether they want the municipal council presiding over their community to be able to sell municipally owned lands to residents. The decision will be made on a community by community basis.

"Since we signed the Nunavut Agreement and created the territory of Nunavut, each of Nunavut's communities have experienced different opportunities and challenges.

There are varying levels of economic development and prosperity in communities and among Inuit," stated Towtongie. "The Government of Nunavut has not provided sufficient information and analysis to convince NTI that a majority of Inuit would benefit from the sale of municipal lands in each community.

Accordingly, NTI does not support a 'Yes' vote in the current referendum and the sale of lands at this time."

This is the second referendum concerning the sale of municipal lands. In the first referendum in April 1995, NTI opposed the sale of municipal lands after it concluded that such a sale would not bring clear benefits to most Inuit.

The proposal to sell lands was defeated at that time and a 20-year restriction on the sale of municipal lands was enacted.

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