.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad
Dying dreams

Gjoa Haven officials lament hard times in Nunavut

Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Gjoa Haven (July 22/02) - As far Gjoa Haven is concerned, the honeymoon is over.

Hamlet officials say they face more hardships now, three years after the birth of Nunavut than they did as part of the Northwest Territories.

It wasn't supposed to be that way. The Nunavut dream was about a land dripping with riches and benefits for all, a land where the roads would eventually be paved with gold.

"In pre-Nunavut days, it seemed like there were lots of projects -- construction, housing projects, a new health centre, a new RCMP centre," said Charlie Cahill, the general manager of the Gjoa Haven Development Corporation.

Formed in 1993, the corporation is owned by all eligible voters in municipal elections.

"There was $10 million (in construction projects) in five years leading up to Nunavut," said Cahill. "The past three years, the amount of construction we do is down 70 per cent."

Cahill is especially distressed this construction season because it's the end of July and the corporation still has no work.

Under the old GNWT leadership, there was so much to do in Gjoa Haven that it was necessary to incorporate to get in on the action, he said.

"The work was being done by big companies with deep pockets from Edmonton and Yellowknife. We were missing out on the projects and the training and input into the projects," said Cahill.

"That was the motivation for the hamlet council to start up the development corporation."

Now, nine years after its formation, Cahill is doing what he can just to keep the corporation alive. He fields at least five or six employment queries each week, but has nothing to offer. He said he's trying to keep costs to a minimum until contracts become available.

"We have operating costs 12 months of the year. Our summer construction season has always been our bread and butter and carries us through the winter. This year, it's really hard."

Mayor also frustrated

Joseph Aglukkaq, the mayor of the community, is just as frustrated with the way things are in Nunavut.

"Nothing is happening. We're a poor community and people are forced to live in poverty. How can we survive and be positive when we're forced to live this way?" asked Aglukkaq.

Most troubling is the reaction of territorial politicians.

"These important people come here and ask questions, but nothing ever happens. It's like talking to a brick wall," he said. "We were better off with the NWT government. We had direction and a five-year capital plan."

Capital plans are a five-year list of prioritized community needs. They outline how money will be spent on different projects and required pieces of equipment.

Cahill agreed that the new government seems to have cut the hamlets out of the planning process.

"We had more freedom and input," said Cahill of the pre-Nunavut process. "As far as I know, we don't have any capital planning process anymore where we sit down and prioritize the community's needs."

Cahill said he suspects the drain on capital dollars is a result of Nunavut's increased operations and maintenance costs -- an increase he expects will continue to grow as the government becomes fully staffed.

"In the three years since Nunavut started, there's all this hiring, salaries, office space and travel. The operations and maintenance costs have doubled or tripled," he said.

Basic needs a priority

Doug Sitland, the director of capital programs for the Department of Community Government and Transportation, agreed the daunting shortfall of capital dollars in Nunavut means many important projects are falling by the wayside. To fulfil community requests, he needs an annual $40 million. He receives an average of just $17 million.

"Because of this, I have to focus my investment of capital dollars on basic needs ... things like water, sewage, making sure airports meet minimum security standards," said Sitland.

He said the department is aware of Gjoa Haven's need for things like a larger community hall, but because their water system also requires a major overhaul, the new hall takes a back seat.

As for hamlet inclusion in the community planning process, Sitland said they formally and informally consult with communities about priorities -- but the government still needs to place the emphasis on basic needs.

The next formal consultation process is scheduled to begin this fall.