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Around Nunavik
April
16, 2004
SQ defuses armed standoff
in Kangiqsujuaq
This week, another potentially
explosive situation between an armed man and police saw a SWAT team from the
Sûreté du Québec provincial police force in Rouyn-Noranda
dispatched to Kangiqsujuaq.
The stand-off began late
Easter Sunday and lasted 30 hours.
According to Sgt. Ghislain
Blanchette of the SQ, a man in Kangiqsujuaq had an argument with his ex-wife,
then barricaded himself in the residence and fired twice at constables from
the Kativik Regional Police Force with a hunting rifle.
"Around 11:30 p.m.,
we received a call because they wanted some back-up support," Blanchette
said.
Police, negotiators, investigators
and a SWAT team flew to Kangiqsujuaq that night in a special charter.
The incident didn't end
until 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
"He left without his
firearm and was arrested," Blanchette said. "We handed him over to
the KRPF."
Uqituk Uqituk, 27, was
taken into custody and flown to Kuujjuaq, where he faces numerous charges in
connection with the incident, one of 30 armed incidents that KRPF constables
have dealt with since the beginning of 2004.
Last month, a 25-year old
Aupaluk man was fatally shot by a Kativik Regional Police Force constable after
the man threatened to open fire.
April
2 , 2004
Makivik V-P re-elected
Adamie Alaku was re-elected as vice-president for economic development in a
election last Friday that capped the Makivik Corporation's annual general meeting
in Aupaluk.
Alaku received 1,216 votes or 55 per cent of ballots, defeating Mary May Simon,
who received 1,009 votes.
Alaku's support was strongest in Puvirnituq, Akulivik, Salluit and Tasiujaq,
while Simon won Inukjuak, Quaqtaq, Kangiqsualujjuaq and Montreal.
"They look at us as a team," said Makivik president Pita Aatami about
the election results. "We're a very good team. We don't always agree on
the issues, but we agree at the end day on what's best for Nunavik, so I was
very happy that he did get voted in."
Aatami also looked at the election results as a sign that Nunavimmiut support
the direction of self-government negotiations.
"People are starting to be aware that it's going to be them that decides
in the end. We're not going into this blind," Aatami said. "There
is a lot of work that has to be done even before we go to the people and say
this is what we could have."
Voter turnout was low. Out of a possible 5,288 eligible voters, all beneficiaries
of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, 2,230, or 42 per cent, came
out to cast ballots.
April
2 , 2004
Salluit aims for peaceful hockey tournament
This week, hockey players and fans are flocking to Salluit for the annual Ungava
Bay hockey tournament.
But drugs and alcohol won't be part of the fun because community leaders are
making sure booze and grass stay out of town for the duration of the tournament.
Their efforts are backed by legal alcohol suppliers in the South, as well as
by the Kativik Regional Police Force.
"We support the municipality for taking the initiative to do this —
and they've assigned people to oversee that. It's very good for us," said
KRPF chief Brian Jones.
At the same time, a drug-sniffing dog and his trainer are in Salluit as an
additional deterrent to would-be drug users or sellers.
"They'll be doing police operations, but they'll also do prevention in
the schools," Jones said.
Last week in Nunavik the dog nabbed more than 2.5 kilos of marijuana.
"This dog here has been very productive for us. This dog alone has helped
us seize 25 kilos or more over the past year" Jones said.
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