NUNAVUT
Citing questions about the sustainability of small hamlets, Quttiktuq MLA Isaac Shooyook called on the government to guarantee the ongoing support of such hamlets.

Quttiktuq MLA Isaac Shooyook called for the government to assure small hamlet residents that their home communities would be supported in the long term after calls to consider closing some of them. - Casey Lessard/NNSL photo

"The people whom I represent in this house have been very clear with me. They expect their government to live up to its responsibility and obligation to ensure that smaller communities, which are the heart of our territory, have a long-term, sustainable future," Shooyook said, noting the feedback he received when opening Grise Fiord's new hamlet office in June.

"I have always said that sustainable, healthy communities up North are the best way to assert sovereignty up North," Premier Peter Taptuna replied. "The communities are there for one purpose, and I intend to work with my colleagues in the Prime Minister's Office to find ways to assist the people of the High Arctic because these communities are important to Canada, and we intend to keep it that way."

Taptuna noted that Nunavut has Canada's longest coastline, yet has only one marine facility, in Pangnirtung.

"In Nunavut, we have estimated that we're about $6 billion in infrastructure deficit," he said. "Although it's a small population, the North is one of the most important locations in Canada. Therefore, Ottawa does have to pay attention to our needs up here."

Enook steps up

Tununiq MLA Joe Enook is stepping in to cover ousted Uqqummiut MLA Samuel Nuqingaq as representative for Qikiqtarjuaq and Clyde River.

"I rise today to inform the house that the municipality of Qikiqtarjuaq has passed a motion that will allow me to raise concerns on behalf of the community until the current vacancy in the legislative assembly is filled by way of a byelection," Enook told the legislature Oct. 31, inviting Clyde River to request the same.

The byelection will be held Feb. 9, which means the communities will have a representative in time for the winter sitting.

Nuqingaq apologized to his constituents on the Qikiqtarjuaq News Facebook page.

"I would like to say to all the people who voted for me, I am very sorry to disappoint all of you," he stated.

Community learning centre going forward

Nunavut Arctic College is going forward with renovations to Grise Fiord's former hamlet building, which will soon be a community learning centre. The price tag: $1.752 million.

"The start date of the project was dependent upon the completion of the new hamlet facility, allowing us to renovate the existing building as a (community learning centre)," Education Minister Paul Quassa told the committee of the whole Oct. 30.

"The new hamlet office was opened in June of 2014 and site visits and design are planned for this fiscal year."

The college is spending $4.8 million this year on capital projects. Some of that will be used for the Kitikmeot Residence and Daycare Centre in Cambridge Bay, and to start planning for the Kitikmeot Campus and Mine Training Centre, which is set to be completed by 2019.

Grise Fiord's community learning centre is one of three in the planning and design stages. The others are in Iqaluit and Whale Cove. The Whale Cove site has been secured, with construction to start in 2015-16.

Raise the wage

Nunavut's minimum wage remains at $11, the same as in Ontario, where the cost of living is much lower, Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes said in the legislature Nov. 3.

Noting his questions on the subject to Labour Minister Paul Okalik in March, May and June, Hickes wondered where was the 2013 annual report on the subject. The 2012 report was filed in June.

"A draft report was submitted to me just last month and I found it to be insufficient," Okalik replied. "I sent it back for more work, so I'm awaiting those results."

He said the department is looking to do a proper consultation on the matter before making a decision.

Hickes encouraged him to make it fast.

"There has been extensive discussion over the past year in this house regarding the urgent need to fight poverty," he said. "Back in March, I pointed out that the minimum wage in Nunavut has not gone up since January of 2011, nearly four years ago."

Okalik said there were two sides to the issue, and that both employees and business owners needed to be consulted to determine the "proper balance" before deciding if a wage hike is warranted.

MLA ponders caribou ban

After hearing Environment Minister Johnny Mike say the number of Baffin Island caribou had dropped by 95 per cent to current levels of about 5,000 from 100,000, Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq wondered Oct. 30 if the government would impose a hunting ban.

"No, I don't support that recommendation," Mike responded. "If I understood the gist of his question about the need for a total ban on caribou, at this time, what I can state is that I can't support this idea."

"The minister stated that a total ban of hunting is not on the table," Savikataaq responded. "I just asked the minister how the caribou are expected to recover. With the hunting going at the same rate, is there going to be a restriction then or are we just going to continue hunting them as they are today?"

Mike said he didn't support a ban, but such a ban wasn't out of the question. He noted that "the land claims agreement for Nunavut has provisions related to this and we are following them to the letter. There is no way other than through the process laid out in it."

He said the department would take the results of a meeting held last week to discuss the issue, and report the recommendations at a later date.

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