Tired of time zone battles
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Kivalliq (Nov 08/00) - Kivalliq residents say the territorial government has been wasting everyone's time talking about time.
The topic of time zones has been hot one in Nunavut the past year, but not everyone believes it was worthy.
"There are more important things to talk about," said Paul Kaludjak, the president of the Kivalliq Inuit Association in Rankin Inlet.
"We should talk about the price of fuel, health issues, housing. Why is no one howling about this?
"That's my big question," he said.
Kaludjak said he supported the issue of a unified time zone when he was the mayor of Rankin Inlet because he thought it would enable the territory to operate more efficiently.
He said the GN was on its way to achieving that goal when it announced the decision to operate on the Central Time Zone last October.
When the news came earlier this fall that the GN planned to amend that decision, Kaludjak said it showed they were only trying to please parts of the territory and not the population as a whole.
And most recently, in an effort to appease the Kitikmeot communities of Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk, Justice Minister Jack Anawak said he was considering allowing those hamlets to operate on their own time zone six months of the year.
The decision, which is scheduled to go before cabinet this week for approval, was announced last Thursday in Cambridge Bay.
Kaludjak said it looked as if the government crumbled under pressure from the communities.
"The government is playing with their credibility and being able to stand for what they say," he said.
"They promised to listen to the Inuit of Nunavut and that's not happening the way it's supposed to. They're only trying to satisfy portions of Nunavut."
Angela Gamble, also a resident of Rankin Inlet, said she was so fed up with the time zone issue that she didn't even have an opinion of the GN's latest brainstorm.
"I think they should have kept it at three different time zones. It would be the same as when you're travelling in the south," she said.
Gamble criticized the government, saying it was throwing away money and time, and ignoring more important issues.
"It's government money and what not and it's a big waste," said Gamble.
"Why are they bringing this up now? That's what I felt. Why aren't they concerned with the important stuff?"
In Repulse Bay, Joani Kringayark said he supported Anawak's move in letting Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk follow Central Standard Time, but added that neither the old time zone nor the new one were much of an issue in the Kivalliq region.
"I haven't experienced any difficulties," he said.
