Iqaluit (Mar 21/05) - The federal government came through with its promise of money for high speed Internet in Nunavut.

Andy Scott, minister of Indian and Northern Development was in Iqaluit on March 18 when he announced broadband Internet service across Nunavut will be getting $551,569.

Scott, flanked by Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell and Lorraine Thomas of the Nunavut Broadband Development, said the money will go a long way to improving the quality of life for Nunavummiut, during a press conference at the Frobisher Inn.

The faster Internet service everyone wants in Nunavut isn't here yet, however. That is coming soon Thomas said.

The money will help kickstart the Nunavut geoscience project which will make detailed satellite images of Nunavut available to the public.

"Because broadband is our only road, we believe Nunavummiut will lead the country with innovative uses of broadband," Thomas said.

Scott's quick visit also gave Inuit leaders such as Paul Kaludjak, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), a chance to grill him about the federal government's obligations under the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement.

"We told him the Inuit are feeling betrayed," Kaludjak said. "We want to see concrete action."

Negotiations between the federal government and NTI on implementation of the land claim agreement have been stalled for four years, Kaludjak said.

"We have a contract that needs to be lived up to," said Kaludjak. "We told him if implementation was not happening, we'll have a really difficult time supporting the Northern Strategy."

While Kaludjak said Scott was receptive, he stopped short of saying there were any commitments made.

"We cannot say it was a commitment. That needs to be given from the minister's office to the bureaucrats. I have to be optimistic when he says he'll keep working on the implementation."