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NUNAVUT
The Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) contracting appeals board has dismissed Adlair Aviation Ltd.'s appeal of the awarding of the Kitikmeot medevac contract to Aqsaqniq Airways Ltd..

Paul Laserich, co-owner of Adlair Aviation Ltd., stands with one of his company's three medevac planes at the Yellowknife Airport May 9, 2011.The Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti contracting appeals board has dismissed Adlair's appeal of the Government of Nunavut's awarding of the Kitikmeot medevac contract to Aqsaqniq Airways Ltd.. - NNSL file photo

Cambridge Bay-based Adlair filed the appeal on Aug. 26, after the Government of Nunavut awarded the air ambulance contract which Adlair has held for some 20 years, to Taloyoak-based Aqsaqniq -- a partnership between Aqsaqniq Ltd. and Yellowknife-based Discovery Air subsidiary Air Tindi.

The contract, valued at $5 million annually, over five years, takes effect Dec. 1, 2011.

"I don't have any comment," said Jack Williams, counsel for Adlair, on the decision. Williams also refused to comment on whether the company will be pursuing any other avenues to appeal its loss of the contract.

"I don't think we could comment," he said. "That's the end of it. The appeal is over."

Members of the NNI board signed the decision to dismiss Adlair's appeal in a document dated Oct. 29, after hearings in September and October.

The board did not accept new evidence for the appeal, including a binder Adlair co-owner Paul Laserich presented with letters of support from all the Kitikmeot communities except Taloyoak.

"The Board could not accept new evidence nor could it consider facts not before the Contracting Authority at the time of the making of its decision to award the contract," the decision said. "The board was of the opinion that to do otherwise was to exceed its jurisdiction."

Aimed at implementing the government's obligations under article 24 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement -- aimed at maximizing Inuit and Nunavut-owned businesses in government contracts -- NNI policy has come under fire in light of Adlair's loss of its long-time medevac contract, and another appeal currently before the NNI board by Sudliq Developments Inc., over the government's decision to award the Coral Harbour fuel distribution contract to Katudgevik Co-op Ltd..

"It's too late for us now, you know, they've already been awarded the contract," Laserich said. "But it's maybe made a difference for people from here on," he added, alluding to reports that land claims group Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., plans to review the NNI policy.

"It might be because of our appeal and another appeal for Coral Harbour, they're going to try to make this stuff more transparent," Laserich said. "Maybe there's a new page being turned, maybe we've made a difference."

Laserich would not say exactly how much of the company's revenues the Kitikmeot medevac contract made up, only describing it as "a good part."

NTI president Cathy Towtongie and executive director Terry Audla could not be reached for comment, they are in Ottawa at the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami conference, spokesperson Kerry McCluskey said. The NNI policy is on the board's draft agenda, however, for its annual general meeting in two weeks, in Cambridge Bay.

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