Panniqtuuq (Dec 06/04) - During hamlet elections Dec. 13, residents won't just be choosing their hamlet officials, they'll be choosing what to call the community.

On the ballot will be a plebiscite question to determine whether the community will move to officially change its name to Panniqtuuq from Pangnirtung.

Residents say the problem began years ago because of an inaccurate English translation.

A petition to correct the mistake was brought to hamlet council July 19.

At the time, the hamlet was told by the Government of Nunavut it would need signatures from 25 per cent of the population -- 325 of the hamlet's 1,300 residents -- or a majority vote in a plebiscite to continue the process.

"The people will be the ones to determine whether we proceed with the name change," said senior administrative officer Greg Morash.

Shawn Maley, assistant deputy minister with the department of community and government services (CGS), says after a majority vote the community would send a motion to Minister Peter Kilabuk.

Under the Hamlet Act, any name change must be approved by cabinet.

"What they're doing is just correcting the spelling of the name," Maley said, adding he sees cabinet opposition as unlikely.

The change would not become official until six months after it is received by the National Geographic committee responsible for producing Canada's maps.