Legislative Assembly briefs
Housing gets $85 million boost
Territory will build 185 new public housing units
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, November 14, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Nunavut and the federal government have signed a new plan to address housing issues in the territory, said George Kuksuk, the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, on Nov. 7.
The Social Infrastructure Fund Agreement will see $85 million dedicated to housing in the next two years, through the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
"The funding for public housing construction will be used to construct over 185 new units across the territory over the next two years," Kuksuk said.
"Construction allocations were made based on the level of housing need in each community, so the communities with the greatest need will see new construction."
The four-part funding will also include renovations to housing for elders, residences for victims of family violence and upgrades for existing public housing.
"The majority of the funding for renovation of seniors housing will be dedicated to improving the conditions of the two elders facilities in Iqaluit and Arviat," said Kuksuk.
Funding for existing public housing will go towards mould remediation.
"Mould is a serious problem in some homes," he said.
Funds for victims of family violence will be given to existing non-government owned shelters.
Funding is a result of lobbying efforts by the three territories over the last three years, said Kuksuk.
"While this funding is a significant accomplishment, it only begins to address Nunavut's severe housing crisis," he said.
Sounds in the strait
The Department of National Defence didn't find the source of mysterious sounds detected in waters near Iglulik, at Fury and Hecla Strait and near the island of Sallit, said Aggu MLA and cabinet minister Paul Quassa on Nov. 3.
"Our hunters spend quite a lot of time in that vicinity hunting marine mammals in both summer and winter seasons."
Hunters had reported a recent lack of marine mammals in the area and were concerned it was due to the sound supposedly being emitted from the seabed.
"The Canadian Armed Forces dispatched a CP-140 Aurora aircraft under the mandate of Operation LIMPID to investigate the sounds," said Quassa. The operation's focus is routine domestic surveillance.
"Various multi-sensor searches as well as acoustic search were employed by the crew and no contact
surface or subsurface were made."
The department also inquired with the Nunavut Research Institute on existing research permits for use of sound-emitting technology but no such permits are currently approved.
"After the Department of National Defence investigated, the noise apparently stopped."
He said DND has agreed to inform the territory and local hunters should they find any more information.
"Sometimes there are mysterious things happening and there are people out there that report when they see or hear mysterious things," said Quassa.
"I encourage hunters to keep telling the Department of National Defence what they hear."
Tanning talk
Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Paul Okalik suggested that a seal tannery would create economic benefit for small communities in the territory.
Processing seal hides for artisan use often means spending money outside of the territory.
"Prior to Nunavut becoming a territory, a sealskin tannery was established in Qikiqtarjuaq and the skins produced were in high demand," said Okalik on Nov. 8. "Today, if we want skins tanned to be sewn by our artisans, even when the skins come from Nunavut, we have to send them out to get tanned."
The tannery in Qikiqtarjuaq has been closed for a decade but Minister of Economic Development and Transportation Monica Ell-Kanayuk said she was open to
having a new tannery set up.
Inuit skill underestimated
A narrow way of assessing skill might be the reason Inuit people are poorly represented within Nunavut's government, MLA Isaac Shooyook suggested on Nov. 7.
"Today we constantly hear the refrain 'Inuit have lower levels of education', and yes, that may be truthful with the colonial western education systems, as Inuit have just started," he said. "The way Inuit have always learned is via observation and lifelong learning."
He said systematic barriers inhibit the true capabilities of Inuit people from being acknowledged and fostered.
"Our past is littered with stories of almost superhuman abilities with no formal education. If we don't recognize the barriers holding us back, especially related to Inuit employment in government, we will never reach the 85-per-cent threshold."
Premier Peter Taptuna said the GN has been working with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. to increase Inuit representation in the workforce.
"We want more Inuit in the workforce," Taptuna said. "We want more Inuit throughout all levels, not just in middle management or executive supervisors. We want more Inuit."
Shooyook asked if Inuit would be laid off for lack of formal education.
"I'm not aware of any Inuk beneficiary being fired from their positions for a lack of education," said Taptuna.
"I worked at an oil patch for 13 years. Through the normal process of training, I trained Germans, Americans, and Italians how to drill for oil and gas. I'm quite optimistic and I'm quite happy to say that Inuit can do well when it comes to ensuring that they can optimize training."
The future also looks good for positions that do require formal education, he said.
"We do have over 300 students in university and college at this point and they are working on getting their diplomas and their masters. There's no doubt we'll soon see these graduates working in these offices within the Government of Nunavut."
