Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Aug 21/00) - Rick Butler's office is sparsely decorated with a couple of traditional Inuit prints and two bubble windows that belong on the lower decks of a ship.

Iqaluit's new senior administrative officer didn't have time to play around with interior decorations after his arrival on July 24.

Responsible for more than 120 town employees and a $22-million budget, his first order of business was to get a handle on the troubled $7.1 million sewage treatment plant, located beside the lagoon, which needs repairs before it can begin to operate.

Butler also had to deal with an auditor's report that recommended the town change its budget planning structure.

He took control of both issues, outlining a plan for the 2001 budget at the Aug. 8 council meeting and taking the town's contract with the sewage plant's designer to a bonding company, a sort of insurance for contracts that go into default.

All this in his first three weeks as SAO. But this is nothing new for Butler.

Trial by fire

Two years ago, Butler was hired by the Stoney Nation in Alberta to do some damage control.

He had to balance a budget that had a $5.6-million deficit, fix the delivery of social programs that had fallen apart, and create the foundation for accountable leadership.

Butler said he managed to balance the budget and create a surplus. He also helped improve the delivery of social programs.

"I started on accountability, trying to create a more open process," he said. "But it will never be perfect."

He spent two years with the Stoney Nation, leaving on difficult terms.

"I was an agent for change, but one cannot overstay their welcome. Certain chiefs thought my time was up," said Butler.

The University of Alberta graduate started his administrative career in the North working in Yellowknife and Rankin Inlet.

"In the late 1970s and 1980s, I helped set up hamlets and municipalities and the structures to deliver programs and services in various communities," he said.

Nunavut adventure

Butler added that after more than 20 years since he came North the first time, he saw progress in the creation of Nunavut.

"It's a much more positive construction than other alternatives, like the reservations down south," he said. "It's not perfect, there's a lot of growing pains."

His early experience in the North had an impact on his life both personally and professionally.

"My wife and I were always talking to our children (who are nine and 10 years old) about the North," he said. "We thought it was time to show them."

He said he believes that their cross-cultural experience in Nunavut will serve them well.

"I want my children to experience Inuit culture and learn from it," he said, adding: "It's a richer life when you experience other cultures."

Butler has committed to stay with the town for at least three years.

"I like coming into situations that demand leadership," he said. "I'm here to fulfil my commitment and it's up to the city if they want me to stay longer."

"This is an adventure for my family, for me professionally, an adventure for the whole community," he said. "We're all in this together."