Tuk's mayor plots course in politics
Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services
Tuktoyaktuk (Jan 22/01) - Ernest Pokiak's entrance into municipal politics two years ago was something he had been planning for quite a while.
"I knew that my time as a civil servant, my years with the government, were pretty well up and I had planned that if I wasn't working for them that I would take a shot at the mayor's job."
Born in Sea Otter Harbour on Jan. 9, 1944, Pokiak and his parents moved to Tuktoyaktuk when he was just seven.
For 35 years he worked in different positions at both levels of government. His public service career began when he landed a job in the federal public works department.
In 1967 when the territorial government was born, Pokiak became the first Inuvialuit to ever complete an apprenticeship program.
He began working as a "travelling mechanic" in the Inuvik region for the territorial public works department. Shortly after he obtained a journeyman's license as a heavy duty mechanic.
Pokiak moved to Spence Bay in the Kitikmeot region, and worked as a maintenance supervisor. Pokiak had an personal reason for taking the job.
"There was girl that I was interested in that was living there also and now I'm married to her," he laughed. "I killed two birds with one stone."
Pokiak and his wife Anita had two children, Ernest Jr. and Violet Anne.
He worked at several other jobs in the same field and moved on to Sachs Harbour. He witnessed some significant improvements in that community.
"When I moved to Sachs Harbour there were no roads, no telephones and when I left there in November of '85, twelve years later, we had everything there - roads, water and sewage pump out, telephones, cable television, everything."
Pokiak returned to Tuktoyaktuk and the federal government as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic for Transport Canada. He held that position until March 1991, when the airport was transferred to the territorial government. He was appointed as the airport manager mechanic, where he worked with MLA Vince Steen, who was a heavy equipment operator.
"Vince and I looked after everything at the airport."
Government downsizing in 1995 caught Pokiak with a layoff notice. A settlement maintenance supervisor's position opened in Cambridge Bay. He worked there for a little more than a year and moved back to Inuvik to work with the Department of Transportation's highway division.
Pokiak decided in 1988 it was time to retire and take a shot at the mayor's position in Tuk.
"I was away from Tuk for 22 years and a lot of things happened in the time I was gone.
"There were no public housing units when I left there, there were very few houses, and when I came back 22 years later there was about 178 public housing units. Things really improved. Development happened really quickly."
Pokiak said he had always been very interested in what was happening in Tuk. Since he had more time on his hands and believed he had something to contribute to the community, he decided to try and make a difference.
"It was quite noticeable in a lot of communities that the mayor and council do not spend enough time in their communities, but I could devote all of my time."
Now 57, Pokiak is busy with more than just mayoral duties. On Jan. 11 he was appointed as vice-president of the NWT Association of Municipalities.
He will serve as vice-president of Charter Communities/Hamlets and Settlements. Pokiak is also the vice-president of the NWT Liberal Association and a member of the Board of Governors for Arctic College.
