Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Chesterfield Inlet (Feb 06/02) - Plans are moving ahead to have full-time wildlife officers placed in the communities of Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet.

The two hamlets are the only remaining communities without Wildlife Services staff.

The department's acting assistant director, Stephen Pinksen, says Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk supports a Nunavut wildlife officer for every community.

Pinksen says funding for the Whale Cove position has been secured and the department is moving forward with the placement during the current season.

"With some luck, we should have somebody staffed in Whale Cove by this coming April," says Pinksen.

"We've secured the money to pay for the position, but we still have to secure office space and some money for supplies and equipment that the person is going to need.

"We hope to have those bugs worked out shortly. We've already contacted the community and hamlet council is very strongly in support of the position."

Pinksen says Akesuk was in Chesterfield Inlet last month and renewed the department's commitment to posting a full-time officer in that community.

"The minister told the people there that we will be putting a wildlife officer in Chesterfield Inlet, so that's clear direction for us and his staff to work towards that."

In the past, Wildlife Services maintained three positions in Rankin Inlet and those officers would travel to provide services in Whale and Chester.

"The method we've been using has been very similar to the type of service the RCMP supply in the smaller communities, but that's not the level of service we want to provide.

"We're looking for something a little better than that and to eventually have somebody staffing each of those communities is our ultimate goal."