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INUVIK
Concerns about energy issues and the ever-rising cost of living in Inuvik took over the recent constituency meeting hosted by Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington.

Dennis Bevington, MP for the Western Arctic, held a sparsely attended constituency meeting Monday. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

A handful of people attended the Monday night meeting at the Inuvik Centennial Library where Bevington said he wanted to use the meeting to discuss and get a handle on what Inuvik residents are concerned about and what they want to do about it.

The major issue raised from those who attended the meeting was rising energy costs and, as a result, the impact on cost of living.

Part of the problem is a disconnect between people in the south and North, said Bevington.

"The cost of living in the North is so tied to energy, people in the south just say 'What's the problem?' They don't really understand how much prices are rising," he said.

Others at the meeting were frustrated with a lack of solid answers on what their energy bills are going to look like come winter. The Town of Inuvik is preparing to supply the town since synthetic natural gas – a mixture of propane and air – for a short-term solution with Ikhil's gas reserve has less than one year of supply left.

According to an information session in the spring concerning the energy crisis in the town, Inuvik will convert to the synthetic natural gas by the fall – and the heating bills will more than double.

Without solid answers on what's being done to address dwindling energy supplies in Inuvik, people are having a hard time planning for the future, said Dave Kaufman, who has lived in Inuvik for more than 25 years.

"The 'wait and see' is killing people," he said.

Kaufman said Inuvik residents haven't been able to plan for an increase in energy costs because no one has any idea how much the exact rate increase will be.

He also said it's strange that no one is coming to Inuvik and pushing different energy ideas, adding that there's an opportunity for entrepreneurs.

"The cost of energy is going to hit this community hard," said Bevington.

"Winter's coming and there are hard questions that need to be answered."

The meeting also included a discussion on the Conservative's Bill C-38 which was passed in the Senate in June. It changes environmental regulations, amends the Fisheries Act, raises the eligibility age for old age security and fast-tracks the development of natural resources, among many other changes to legislation.

Bevington said he's planning on releasing an information sheet outlining which changes will impact Northerners the most.

"I'm hoping that when we do this information document people will get a better grasp of what's happened to the laws in this country," said Bevington.

Bevington pointed to the Canadian Coast Guard and Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre as some of the more serious impacts of the bill.

"Even in Parliament, there wasn't enough time to look over and understand everything," he said.

"That's why we're working on a document from a Northern perspective."

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