PM hit with questions
Trudeau strikes a chord at Iqaluit town hall
Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, February 13, 2017
IQALUIT
Seven-year-old Jenna Nooshoota set the tone for Iqaluit's town hall with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when she leapt from the crowd to speak with him first.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets residents of Iqaluit at a town hall meeting at Inuksuk High school on Feb. 9. - Beth Brown/NNSL photo |
The Feb. 9 visit was Trudeau's first trip to Nunavut's capital since taking office.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed told people in the packed auditorium that Trudeau and his staff fully expected residents of Iqaluit to take the opportunity to voice their perspectives and concerns.
And, with gusto not unlike young Nooshoota's, they did.
"I asked the prime minister about having a performing arts centre built here in Nunavut," said Vinnie Karetak, who is the chair of the Qaggiavuut performing arts society and co-owner of Qanukiaq Studios. "He's heard it and understands that we can build and retain culture and language through the performing arts society."
To make sure she wasn't missed, Nicole Giles was ready with a poster.
"I fought my way through the crowd, and I said 'Sir, would you mind reading my sign?'"
Her sign read: 'Welcome Mr. Prime Minister, can we talk? We need metal health support, we need addictions support, we need food and water security for all, and what happened to electoral reform?'
The poster also included the hashtag #MMIW for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
"I want him to know that things are Nunavut-specific, like mental health and addictions. This stuff is so important to us," she said. "People in the south don't understand."
Trudeau told her these issues were the reason he had brought Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Health Jane Philpott and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos along for his Northern tour.
"He was respectful and kind. I'm a proud Canadian today," Giles said.
Her colleague, Joanne Ashley, had a request for Trudeau to make changes in his own city by renaming Langevin Block, a federal building opposite Parliament that houses the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council. The building is named for Hector-Louis Langevin, a Father of Confederation.
"This man was heavily involved in the creation of residential schools for indigenous children across Canada," said Ashley. "A lot of indigenous people have to walk by this every day and suffer a lot of silent pain."
ITK has already made the same request.
As Trudeau embraced her eight-month-old child, Zoya Martin informed the prime minister that her wages as a public servant have not been properly paid, or not paid to her at all, since she went on maternity leave, due to the Phoenix pay system.
"I alerted them of over-payment and they followed up with asking (for) too much money back, and then they just stopped paying me," said Martin, who is a biologist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
She said it has been a struggle getting answers about the problem.
Trudeau's staff immediately took her information and assured her they would follow up.
"I think I'm going to get a solution," said Martin, though she hoped that her voice would help other women with the same problem.
Agnes Egotak, who was visiting from Kugluktuk, wanted to ask about preservation of Inuktitut dialects.
"Our Inuktitut language, do we have support for our language and also the tools we need for translation?" Egotak asked. "We need more translators in order to use our language."
Question or not, Egotak made sure to find herself a front row seat for her own brief encounter with Canada's leader, whom she said she was privileged to see in person, instead of on TV.
