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September 5, 2008 Northern leaders cozy up to Stephen Harper“He’s got his head around some fundamental Inuit issues”Stephen Harper, the prime minister, appears to have made some friends during repeated visits to the North. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and Paul Okalik, the premier, all had kind words for Harper after the prime minister wrapped a northern visit with an appearance in Inuvik last week. There, Harper met the three northern premiers, a gathering which Okalik described in an interview as cordial. "He [Harper] took note of all our suggestions. He's looking for ideas," he said.
Qiniq network to get $21.6 million upgrade“Bandwidth like water in desert”The many Nunavummiut who use the Qiniq wireless internet service will see the gradual introduction of better speeds and better services, thanks to a federal government contribution worth up to $21.6 million between now and 2013. "It's an excellent, excellent investment and we will certainly be able to meet the growing demand on the Qiniq network for the basic services that people are expecting," said Lorraine Thomas, secretary-treasurer of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp., which runs Qiniq through a system of community-based service providers. The money, announced Aug. 29 in Yellowknife by Diane Ablonczy, the secretary of state for tourism and small business, will help the broadband corporation pay for upgraded satellite connections, more satellite capacity and better ways of using and doling out bandwidth. In Nunavut, Thomas said the broadband corporation will draw down on those funds to find ways of "playing catch-up."
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