Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (May 22/02) - Baker Lake is on a roll of prosperity as it celebrates its 25th anniversary as a hamlet.

The community held a special edition of Hamlet Days from May 6-11, with many more games and special activities than in year's past.

Mayor David Webster says the hamlet put more money into this year's event to celebrate the milestone.

"We had Fred Penner come up for the kids and we brought in Charlie Panigoniak and his daughter, Charlene, as well as two special accordion players from Panniqtuuq and northern Quebec," says Webster.

"Our Hamlet Days committee came up a bunch of weird and wonderful events, which gave the whole thing a different look this year."

Baker's population has now passed 1,600.

Recent developments at the Meadowbank Gold project have residents of the Kivalliq's only inland community looking forward to a bright future.

Webster says the Nunavut government's decentralization policy has helped the Baker Lake prosper during the past few years.

Decentralization has created more than 30 jobs in Baker, with both the Nunavut Power Corp. headquarters and Sport Nunavut located in the community.

Webster says there's also been a lot of beneficial spinoffs for the community.

"A lot of local people were hired in the construction of the government building and the four five-unit complexes.

"The government jobs bring a lot of extra money into the hamlet and, because they're here, we get a lot visitors who stay at the hotels and spend money locally.

"Decentralization is a success story in Baker Lake."

Webster says he's always had concern over the lack of employment for youth in his community.

He says decentralization has provided an opportunity for graduates to develop their job skills and find jobs locally.

"The Nunavut Power Corp. did a lot of excellent training here, which I hope they continue.

"Everyone in Baker is more than pleased by what decentralization has done for our community."