IQALUIT - No one from the public showed up at the electoral boundaries commission public hearing Jan. 11 in Iqaluit, and the city is pointing the finger at the commission for the low turnout.

"While the City of Iqaluit appreciates that the commission held a public hearing in Iqaluit, it is quite apparent from the dismal turnout that much more could have and should have been done to promote public participation," Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern wrote in a letter to the commission dated Jan. 14.

In the letter to the commission, Redfern stated the city is "very disappointed" with the commission in respect to "its lack of communication with the city and the commission's poor planning for the Iqaluit public meeting." It also asked the commission to hold a second hearing in Iqaluit.

The commission responded with a letter to the City of Iqaluit stating it would not hold another public hearing in Iqaluit, instead encouraging the city to send the commission a formal written submission.

Commission chairman Edward Richard also stated in the letter that the commission had informed the city on Dec. 20 of the Jan. 11 meeting.

The electoral boundaries commission is examining the boundaries of the 19 constituencies in Nunavut.

It held its first of seven scheduled public hearings in Iqaluit on a Tuesday night coinciding with a city council meeting and a Utility Rates Review Council meeting.

The only people in attendance were from the media.

At the time, Richard said he wasn't surprised by the apparent lack of interest.

"Not everybody is interested in our task," he said.

Richard added maybe most Iqaluit residents are happy they have three MLAs and are confident the commission won't take them away. But he added the boundary lines of Iqaluit's three constituencies - Iqaluit West, Centre and East - might be redrawn because of population growth.

At the empty public hearing, commission members Gordon Main and Kirt Ejesiak echoed those thoughts.

"I take it if people are not coming, it's because they're not interested and it's not a burning issue with them," said Main.

"The drive to meet with the commission perhaps dissipated with the mayor (Elisapee Sheutiapik) stepping down," said Ejesiak at the time.

The commission is examining the constituencies' names and boundaries and the number of people in each. It is also expected to provide a reasoning for any new boundary and name change. Public hearings are held in communities that have requested it.

The commission said it had originally received two requests from Iqaluit - one from city council, the other from the senior administrative officer, said Richard.

The commission informed the city a public hearing would be held in the first two months of the year, said Richard.

"They said 'please come,' so we organized the meeting. We told them when it was going to be some time ago. I can't explain why they're not here," he said at the meeting.

The commission's report is expected to be complete by June.

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