NNSL (Mar 25/98) - After 28 years with the GNWT, Ken Lovely is stepping aside in favor of new blood.

By month's end, the current deputy minister of public works and services will have a lot of time to pursue other interests, such as hunting, fishing and canoeing.

"I'm thinking of building canoes," he said. "I like working with my hands and I want to move away from paperwork."

Lovely said he is sorry he will not be able to see territorial division first hand.

"It could result in some pretty major changes that people in other jurisdictions don't have the opportunity to participate in."

But leaving now means a potentially smoother transition as the new deputy minister could be abreast of upcoming changes as they happen, and not have to grapple with changes as well as accustoming himself to a new department.

Premier Don Morin appointed Bruce Rattray to take over the stewardship of the public works and services bureaucracy as of March 23.

Rattray was assistant deputy minister of transportation.

Rattray joined the GNWT in 1982 as assistant regional engineer for the department of public works in Inuvik.

In 1984, he moved to Yellowknife, where he worked as district superintendent for six years before moving into the position of director of accommodation services.

In 1991, Rattray shifted to assistant deputy minister of operations for the department of transportation.