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Nunavut
January
9, 2004
Jury
to make recommendations in shooting death
A coroner's jury examining the shooting death of Naytanie Atadjuat by an RCMP
officer after a violent domestic altercation in Pond Inlet in September 2002
is to make recommendations for procedures in similar incidents in the future.
Atadjuat died of a blood loss from a single bullet wound to his shoulder.
The incident occurred after RCMP were called to a domestic disturbance involving
Atadjuat and his spouse on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2002. After slicing the
woman's neck, Atadjuat fled to a nearby home and threatened to hurt a child.
He was hit when RCMP officers fired shots at him.
Atadjuat, who had a history of mental illness and solvent abuse, had been released
from police custody earlier that day after being charged with mischief and public
intoxication.
Following the shooting, the two officers, John Tagak and Bill Mooney, were
assigned to desk duties in Iqaluit. They were cleared of any wrongdoing after
an internal investigation.
The five-woman, one-man jury was expected to make recommendations this week.
Tim Neily, Nunavut's chief coroner, said he would review the recommendations
and add comments, which will be released to the public.
January
9, 2004
Polar bears killed near Iqaluit
A polar bear and her two cubs were shot after being spotted on three different
occasions foraging for food in Iqaluit. Much of the meat from the bears was
consumed at a community feast on Jan. 3.
The bears had found leftover meat scraps by the beach. They had also managed
to enter the city's landfill site by a hole in the fence.
The Amaroq Hunters and Trappers Organization decided to kill the animals, rather
than dart them for transport to another location, because after having been
tranquilized, the meat would have been unfit for consumption, if the polar bears
had returned and been put down later.
"We discussed it," said Alden Williams, a wildlife officer with Nunavut's
department of sustainable development. "It was determined that the HTO
would use two of their quota for the bears. That way, the animals could get
utilized."
January
9, 2004
New guide for Nunavut students
Nunavut's education department has prepared a new program guide for the Financial
Assistance to Nunavut Students program, known as FANS.
The guide is a result of a recent review of FANS that showed a need for an
updated information package.
FANS provides more than $3 million in financial aid to Nunavut students who
are pursuing higher education.
Copies are available from the FANS administrative office in Arviat or through
regional offices of the education department.
January
9, 2004
Man charged with assault in Iqaluit
Thomy Takaugak Sammurtok, 56, has been charged with assault causing bodily
harm, common assault, uttering threats, sexual assault and two counts of unlawful
confinement following an incident on Jan. 3. RCMP in Iqaluit responded to complaint
of a disturbance at the Arctic College apartments in the early morning hours.
After appearing on Jan. 5, Sammurtok was released and will appear again in
court in Rankin Inlet on Feb. 17.
January
9, 2004
Internet now in Pond Inlet
Northwestel has introduced dial-up Internet service in Pond Inlet, the second
community in the North to receive the service at a cost comparable to what consumers
pay in the South.
Over the next year, local dial-up will be extended across North, a Northwestel
news release says, following a decision made last year by the Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission to offer Internet services.
January
9, 2004
Progress made in lawsuit against GN
Three Inuit-owned companies fighting the Government of Nunavut in court over
fuel-distribution contracts they say were improperly awarded, scored a partial
victory in their battle to see the details of the winning proposal.
Savik Enterprises Ltd., J.R. Peyton Enterprises and Enokseot Holdings Ltd.
launched a lawsuit against the GN in 2001, saying the department of public works
and services contravened the Nunavut land claims agreement by awarding four
fuel contracts, for Igloolik, Hall Beach, Pangnirtung and Arctic Bay, to Arctic
Co-operatives Ltd. (ACL) that year.
Last month, Justice Robert Kilpatrick laid out his decision on preliminary
arguments over what evidence would be permitted. According to court documents,
the companies' lawyer wanted full access to ACL's winning proposal in order
to judge whether the government followed its contracting rules.
ACL's lawyer, acting as an intervenor in the case, countered that the proposal
should be kept secret because releasing it would give competitors sensitive
business information.
In his decision, Kilpatrick ordered the government's lawyer to hand in sealed
copies of the proposal, which he will edit to protect the companies' privacy
and business interests. The edited copies will be given to the companies' lawyer.
The companies have not released how much they are seeking in damages for the
alleged loss.
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