Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 30/00) - The Nunavut government is picking up the tab to have 500 pounds of tin cans removed from the Rankin Inlet dump.

The cans are from a failed community recycling program that began about 10 years ago.

Kevin Seguin of the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre says he's surprised the cans have caused such a commotion.

"We throw 10,000 pounds of cans in the dump every year and nobody says boo," says Seguin.

"Because these cans are sitting there packed up, nicely waiting for something to be done about them, it's a big commotion."

Seguin says the recycling program was a great community initiative and people thought it should continue. Some people thought the centre would take care of it, he added.

An airline company volunteered to ship the cans south, but the friendship centre was only offered 60 cents a pound for them.

The reduced price stems from provincial regulations.

"We get pop from everywhere and nobody can prove what can came from where," says Seguin. "Different provinces pay different amounts for a deposit and will only pay the deposit if they know the can originated in their province.

"That's where the 60 cents a pound comes from. They can only pay us the recycled metal rate."

Seguin says at 60 cents a pound, $300 just wasn't worth the cost or effort to send the cans south.

That's where the issue stayed until Community Government Minister Jack Anawak found out about the problem, says Shawn Maley, a director for the Kivalliq Region of the Department of Community Government and Transportation.

"Mr. Anawak decided the dump is our responsibility, the cans are in the dump, so we'll give them a hand and get them out of there," says Maley.

CG&T has a trailer in Rankin and it was decided the cans will be loaded on the trailer and leave the hamlet on the last barge.