Current ads
Jobs
Tenders
Notices
General

Click below

June 27, 2003

Sanikiluaq gets GN help after one year

After more than a year of waiting, the Government of Nunavut has finally announced how it will help Sanikiluaq prepare for the environmental impact of future hydroelectric projects on rivers flowing into Hudson and James Bay.

Sanikiluaq asked for the GN's help last March, after the James Bay Cree signed multi-billion-dollar agreements with Quebec and its power company, Hydro-Québec.

The deal cleared all legal obstacles to hydroelectric developments on the Rupert River, which empties into James Bay, several hundred kilometres south of Sanikiluaq.

After that, the Inuit of Nunavik signed their own billion-dollar deal, with provisions for similar developments along the Hudson and Ungava Bay coasts, and provisions for plugging Nunavik into Hydro-Québec's power grid.

In the early 1990s, Sanikiluaq opposed the damming of Great Whale River for a massive hydro-electric project because of concerns over the negative effect on water currents, ice and marine life around the Belcher Islands. The flooding of forests and land for hydro-electric projects is also known to release mercury into the environment.

Under a memorandum of understanding, the GN and the municipality of Sanikiluaq will prepare annual work plans and a budget to ensure the community's voice is heard. They've already given the community $55,000 to help pay for the work.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. are also helping the Inuit of Sanikiluaq prepare for the impact of new hydroelectric developments.

June 27, 2003

Cabinet ponders Ottawa, communities, education

After holing up in Sanikiluaq for two days last week in what they're calling a "strategy session," the seven members of Nunavut's cabinet have emerged to announce they've made progress in relations with the federal government, decentralization policies, housing policies, and the education system.

A cabinet communiqué issued last week says the cabinet is "pleased" that the federal government recognizes the inadequacy of per capita methods used to calculate how much money Nunavut gets under federal transfer programs.

The communiqué said the federal government has "begun discussions" on improving the financing formula it uses for the northern territories.

The communiqué also contains a hint that the next Nunavut-Canada language agreement will contain more money for Inuktitut.

"Through direct talks with Heritage Canada, cabinet ministers are becoming more optimistic that an improved accord may be reached that will promote the use of Inuktitut in Nunavut," the communiqué said.

Ministers talked about decentralization, and the use of better rent structures and home ownership programs to encourage more government employees to become home owners.

They also "reviewed" standards of student achievement, curriculum development, language of instruction, and trades training in Nunavut.

The communiqué contains a vague statement saying that their approach to education will make community, teacher education and curriculum development the "building blocks" of Nunavut's education system.

June 27, 2003

Iqaluit youth dies in ATV accident

The 18-year-old youth who died in a single-vehicle ATV accident has been laid to rest in Iqaluit.

Matthewsie Kunuk was riding his ATV north of the Road to Nowhere on June 13 when the vehicle apparently overturned, pinning him beneath its weight.

Police were called to the scene the next day. When they arrived they found Kunuk trapped under the vehicle. Police pronounced him dead at the scene.

A police news release said Kunuk was apparently trying to climb a hill on his ATV when the accident occurred.

Police are reminding ATV users to exercise caution when driving and travel in pairs when going out on the land.

June 27, 2003

New owner lays off 75 at Lupin

Nunavut's last producing mine is on life support.

Kinross Gold Corp., which assumed control of the Lupin gold mine in January after a merger with its previous owner, Echo Bay Mines, is dumping 75 employees at Lupin this year, and imposing numerous other cost-cutting measures.

In 2002, Kinross reported a loss of $30.2 million on its overall operations, and lost $7.9 million in the first quarter of 2003.

The company's president, Robert Buchan, was quoted in the Globe and Mail this month as saying that the company may close Lupin if its costs can't be brought into line.

With the recent demise of the Nanisivik and Polaris mines, Lupin is the only producing mine currently operating in Nunavut.

Okalik gathers ammunition at Western Premiers’ Conference

Premier Paul Okalik will take a powerful new weapon to negotiations with the U.S. government to have caribou products removed from a ban on meat products – the support of the premiers of Canadian cattle-producing provinces.

The ban was imposed after a cow in Alberta was discovered to be infected with mad-cow disease. Support for cattle producers dominated discussion at the Western Premiers’ Conference this week in Kelowna, British Columbia, Okalik said.

The premiers seemed genuinely surprised that the ban affected caribou products, Okalik said. The ban extends to all ruminant animals, or mammals that chew their cud.

Okalik said the support of the western premiers would help him persuade U.S. officials. “It will make it a lot easier to educate the Americans that way,” he said.

The three Northern premiers also secured support for a territorial economic development agreement, and a devolution agreement for Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Ottawa currently provides an economic development fund for Western provinces, and one for Eastern provinces, but nothing for the North.

After the strong message the Northern premiers sent in February during negotiations with the Prime Minster for a health accord, Okalik said, the federal government should know to take Northern concerns seriously.

“I think Ottawa is aware that we don’t just talk, we actually act on our desires. And they know we want a better deal for the North, not just on health but on a wide ranging area of issues and we have the support of our colleagues, just like we had on health,” he said.

“We’re showing the federal government that they’re not going away until they deal with them.”

June 13, 2003

30th edition of Pangnirtung Print Collection on display

The Pangnirtung Community Print Collection celebrates its 30th anniversary this month with the release of the 2003 collection.

With its 30th anniversary collection, the collective that produces the work has come full-circle, writes Peter Wilson, general manager of the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts, in the program guide for the 2003 collection.

The collection includes the debut of Malaya Pitsiulak, the 18-year-old daughter of Lipa Pitsiulak, who led the first group of printmakers through the early years. A print by the elder Pitsiulak was reproduced as a postage stamp in 1977.

The 24 prints of the 2003 collection will be on display and for sale at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit beginning June 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Museum manager Brian Lunger has invited several Pangnirtung artists and printmakers to the opening, including Andrew Qappik and Jolly Attagooyak.

TOP

Advertising
Specs, rates,
& maps
Multi-paper
buying services
About the market
E-mail ad dept

More Information