Java gulpers discuss fate of territory
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jan 08/01) - Pundits, bookies and fortune tellers across the world have focused their efforts recently on forecasting the events that will touch our lives over the next 12 months.
In that many a problem has been bantered about and possibly even solved amid the smoky haze of Nunavut's coffee shops, it seemed only appropriate to turn to the territory's java hounds for a look into the crystal ball.
A near permanent fixture at the Navigator Inn in Iqaluit is Nunanet Worldwide Communications' webmaster Marcel Mason, someone who's known well for his strong opinions and caffeine dependency.
"All hell is going to break loose," Mason glibly replied.
"In 2001, people are finally going to realize that complaining about things is not going to work. Things will probably drop to a level that the average Joe Blow citizen will decide to take matters into their own hands and do something about it," he said, predicting troubles for health care and education.
"That's activism. Activism is a good thing."
The longtime Northerner also said he thought the Nunavut Employees Union would go on strike but it would do little to paralyze the government; Iqaluit's garbage incinerator would become operational and the much-talked about paving project would go ahead and the construction boom would continue.
Training, training and training
Heading west, Taloyoak's Charlie Lyall reckoned Kitikmeot energy would be spent on training initiatives in 2001.
That will ensure that when the time came to make major announcements about mining projects in future years, residents would be ready to take the reins.
"We won't see any major announcements this year. We'll just be plugging along except for the major progress in training," said Lyall.
He also predicted that the relationship between the government and the Kitikmeot communities would become more fractured because of the feeling that the west is being ignored.
"The government doesn't seem to be too concerned about the Kitikmeot. A good example of that is the time zone. Why didn't they let all of us change our time instead of just the two communities?"
Time bomb
Lyall wasn't the only one to guess that the time zone battle would yet again rear its ugly head.
Also a familiar face in many of Iqaluit's coffee-based watering holes, Adamee Itorcheak said he figured come April when most Nunavummiut were scheduled not to touch their clocks, revolt would be on the horizon.
That bothers him, he said, because it took the attention off more pressing issues.
"There's (financial) cuts (by the government) like crazy in certain areas, but people don't see it because they're too wrapped up in other issues. It's just dumb luck," said Itorcheak.
Itorcheak also said he thought 2001 would be a good time for the elected politicians to take more control back from the deputy ministers. He said the government was poorly organized because the bureaucrats had too much sway.
Sober up
As far as former Pangnirtung resident Saila Kipanek is concerned, the development of a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Nunavut needs to take place this year.
If Nunavummiut want to work towards a healthier territory in 2001, he said residents needed to get sober.
"People have no place to go so they are hesitating to look for help," said Kipanek.
He also said Nunavut, and Iqaluit in particular, needed stronger law enforcement to shut down the people who thrive off feeding residents' addictions.
"The drug dealers and the bootleggers are trying to control the community. This community has to take control rather than be controlled. We aren't doing anything about that. We need stronger enforcement," he said.
On the lighter side
Patrick Gogarty said other than the increase in weather phenomena he saw headed for Nunavut, he thought 2001 would bring people closer together.
"People will learn to appreciate each other and work together more than they did in the past," said Gogarty, a waiter at the Siniktarvik Hotel in Rankin Inlet.
"Overall, 2001 will be better than 2000. We'll be more productive, revenue will increase, employment will rise. I'm very optimistic about the upcoming year."
