Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (Sep 09/02) - The Hudson Bay Neighbours Regional Round Table continued its efforts to reform Northern infrastructure this past month in Baker Lake.

The group includes representatives of the seven Kivalliq hamlets, the northern Manitoba communities of Churchill, Fox Lake and Gillam, and the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce.

The round table held its inaugural meeting in Churchill and followed that up at Rural Forum in Brandon, Man., this past April.

The group has identified transportation, energy, youth, health and technology as its top areas of common concerns.

Kivalliq's regional director for the Department of Sustainable Development, Brock Junkin, said committees were formed to address each of the five topics.

He said items of key interest include urging all levels of government to proceed with both energy and transportation infrastructure projects between Manitoba and Nunavut.

The round table is also lobbying for infrastructure to support wireless high-speed Internet technologies for isolated Northern communities, and allocating responsibilities for health and nutrition in Northern schools.

Junkin said a unified voice is essential when seeking such support from governments.

He said when one community in a region approaches a government about a project, the question of the other communities' co-operation is always asked.

"Having a unified voice shows the communities are on the same page concerning an issue," said Junkin.

"A government feels more comfortable in the knowledge all 10 of these communities -- as well as the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce -- are speaking as one voice."

Whale Cove Mayor David Kritterdlik said having a unified voice is the only way Northern communities will get major project support.

"We have found, by experience, that for a community to go it alone in lobbying governments and other agencies is frustrating and inefficient," said Kritterdlik.