.
It ain't over
Nunavut time gripes persist

Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Oct 23/00) - A somewhat testy exchange between politicians in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly showed that recent change in time zones hasn't cooled some Kitikmeot tempers.

"It hasn't been fixed," Kugluktuk MLA Donald Havioyak said of the Government of Nunavut's attempt to appease territorial residents by amending the time zone. "The time zone is a problem for our community."

After expressing his discontent to his colleagues in general, Havioyak bluntly asked Community Government Minister Jack Anawak if the time zone amendment would be reviewed in six months or one year's time.

Anawak answered "no," and added fuel to Havioyak's fire.

"I think the problem is still there for the Kitikmeot," said Havioyak. "If you can review it in the Baffin, can you review it for our region?" Havioyak asked.

Anawak said the recent review, which involved phone calls and a letter campaign, was conducted for the entire territory, not just for the Baffin region.

When the Government of Nunavut united the territory's three time zones last fall, the Baffin region was the most vocal in its opposition.

The GN's announcement earlier this month, which stated residents would operate on Eastern Standard Time for six months and Central Standard Time for six months, appeased Baffinmiut, but caused uproar among residents of the west.

Havioyak was not alone in his opposition last week. Cambridge Bay Mayor Keith Peterson said he won't change his watch without a fight.

"I've been approached by individuals (in my community). There is a simmering undercurrent of discontent. They want to know what we're going to do about it," said Peterson.

"I'm going to write a letter to the premier to ask him to put it to a vote in the House with all of the MLAs. It was a decision made by cabinet, not by the entire Legislature," he said.

After expressing his own concerns about being left out of the decision-making process, Havioyak tabled letters from his constituents, all of which expressed displeasure with the GN's decision.