Current ads
Jobs
Tenders
Notices
General

Click below

Good-bye to Kuujjuaq from Carl Bromwich

A couple of weeks ago I left home. When I moved to Kuujjuaq eleven years ago, I anticipated staying for a year or two at most.

Since then I have had three children, enough adventures to fill a book and a professional experience that is the envy of most colleagues. To my professional colleagues, my co-workers at Tulattavik and Palaqsivik and especially to my patients and my friends in Kuujjuaq and Kangiqsualujjuaq, I am deeply indebted.

Saying good-bye has never been one of my strengths; those few who were on the receiving end of one in September can attest to that.

This letter, then, is a way of communicating my thanks and my teary "atsunai" to all those I didn't see in person or for whom I literally couldn't force out the words.

I struggle to believe the words of the famous poet, Khalil Gibran: "When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."

A couple of weeks ago I left home, but I'll be back.

Carl Bromwich
Ottawa

Should Nunavummiut buy shares in Tahera?

As a child of the North, and an avid NWT diamond watcher, I have been giving thought to the latest Tahera news.

It would seem that the logical step here would be for Nunavut and its people to buy in to Tahera's bid for equity financing, and become part-owners in their own destiny.

This is an open letter to the editor, from a child of the North.

Tami Chechotko
Elk Valley, Alberta

Editor's note: For those not familiar with business terminology, "equity financing" means cash raised by selling company shares on the stock market.

JHSN helps Inuit prisoners

First of all, I would like to thank the John Howard Society for helping out with the country food for the Inuit prisoners in the South.

Without the support and assistance of JHSN, there would be no celebration on Nunavut Day and Christmas for the Inuit men in prison. Thank you JHSN for letting the celebrations happen far away from home.

JHSN have also started a Christmas video exchange program between the families and the guys who are in prison. Again, without the help of JHSN this would not have been a success. This is the closest you can get to see love ones far away from home for such a long time - through video.

It is very costly to send country food to Ontario from Nunavut, where the country food must stay frozen because of so many hours of getting it to the destination. The cost to ship the frozen food and getting it transported to keep the food frozen sometimes costs more then the food itself.

Let's not forget the Inuit men and women who are in federal prison. They are as much Inuit, as we are here up in the North who like to eat country food. I know that they are in prison for a reason, but they are part of Inuit society who are in need of help.

As we all know, the cost of shipping anything to the South is paid by weight, and shipping the frozen country food costs more than the price of the meat.

Keep up the great work for helping our fellow Inuit in the South that need your help.

Leetia Kowalchuk
Iqaluit

A thank-you to Kakivak

I would like to extend my thanks to Kakivak Association for making it possible for me to continue my studies.

I would also like to thank Annie for all her assistance.

Martha Peet
Winnipeg

Farewell from the Kingdons

We wish to extend our gratitude and thankfulness for the warm friendships and memories from living among you and with you in Frobisher Bay and Iqaluit for over 20 years.

Our children, Paige, Wade and Fauna, all graduated from Inuksuk High School and we are pleased with the community guidance when they grew up to be proud citizens of Iqaluit.

Growing up in Iqaluit, our children were very fortunate to participate in many world travel opportunities that would not have been available had we lived elsewhere. All of our children were senior lifeguards at the pool and taught many of your children to swim.

Not only did we have a child born here (Wade,) we also had a granddaughter (Chelsea Nicole Anaviapik Kingdon) born here of whom we are extremely proud. That will always bind us to Iqaluit forever.

We feel very honoured and appreciated for the fond farewells that were bestowed upon us by many individuals, groups and associations. Thank you!

We have enjoyed sharing our lives with all of you in Iqaluit. Allan also wishes to thank the Baffin communities for their hospitality and friendships which made his job and stay more enjoyable.

It has been an experience witnessing Iqaluit grow form a village of 2,400 to 6,000, all in 25 years. We depart with each one of you lovingly tucked away in our hearts. Together, we made Iqaluit what it was and paved the way for our children to continue what it is to become.

We bid you farewell Iqaluit and we will always remember our participation in:

• Toonik Tyme — showing off the 1968 skidoo
• Nunavut Day festivities
• Canada Day parade — Eliza's favourite
• Christmas lights at house 400 that we put up for your enjoyment.

Our retirement address is:

Box 333
Erickson, MB R0J 0P0
1-204-636-2488
Alan and Eliza Kingdon
Iqaluit

October 22, 2004

Smoking room encourages life-threatening behaviour

This letter is in regards to the new enclosed smoking area that the Iqaluit racquet club just built.

I find it hard to understand that smoking would be encouraged in a health club. I cannot believe that businesses are willing to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to accommodate smokers. Do people not know that it causes cancer? They must not.

By doing this, the racquet club is encouraging people to keep on smoking so they'll have cancer. Cigarettes are cancerous; they will make you sick. There is actual evidence that people die of smoking, yet people keep on smoking. Why? I do not understand why someone would make himself or herself sick. Maybe not right away but slowly, you are killing yourself. You will die of cancer.

Why spend money on making an enclosed smoking area? I would very much like to hear from someone who smokes who will use this smoking area and give me one good reason why they need a smoking room. Do you need to smoke before you go running on the treadmill? Perhaps you smoke afterwards to reward yourself for running or working out, but where is the reward if you're making yourself sick with cigarettes?

Is it not good enough for those who smoke to tell you that you will get cancer and die of cancer if you keep on smoking? When you see someone smoking and they are coughing and spitting their guts out, do you not see that they probably have black lungs? Black lungs, is that not good enough of a reason to stop? Cancer, is that not good enough a reason to stop? Your friends and family seeing you suffer in your deathbed barely able to take a simple breath, is that not good enough a reason to stop?

Will you still smoke with the thought of dying in the back of your mind and not feel guilty? Is smoking so important to you that you would rather be sick when you're older (maybe you're already sick but are denying it) than enjoy life being able to breathe and take big deep breathes without having to cough after every breath?

Why could you not have used that room for something that is needed?

Rita Anilniliak
Iqaluit

Air Inuit employee defends "near-death" story

I've been in the airline industry since 1983, working for Nordair, Canadian Pacific, Canadian Airlines, First Air and Air Inuit, the latter of these companies giving me numerous letters of commendation for my good work and initiative, including one from the president of Air Inuit, Peter Horsman.

I'm also a Level 2 Canadian air transport security authority.

Even my 19-year old boy works at Air Inuit. He has since moved to Kuujjuaq, but Air Inuit won't let him work because I am under investigation. Why? He's not involved in any way, and now he's not even in the town I live in.

It's not relevant to this letter, but my mother, Annie Weetaltuk, was the first Inuk stewardess in Canada. And, yes, I'm an Inuk beneficiary, born and raised in Kuujjuaraapik, Nunavik.

I like Air Inuit as a whole. They provide a good essential service and "bravo" for their many medevac flights. I'm sure the airline has saved many lives by getting people to hospital, and, I might add, on flights plagued by bad weather conditions, but still do-able. Again, bravo!

I'm writing because I have a beef with the article "Transport Canada probes beef laid by fired employee," in the Sept. 24 issue. It goes like this:

1. Aug. 16, I received a letter of suspension stating I was arrested twice in their truck. Totally false, as verified by the local chief of police the same day.
2. Aug. 30, I submitted a grievance letter two weeks after my suspension.
3. Sept. 6, myself, my older sister and four other passengers had a terrifying flight.
4. Sept. 13, I got my termination letter. In the letter, I was fired because of pending charges. I'm the only suspect in a "possession for the purpose of trafficking." I haven't gone to court yet. I haven't even been found guilty! I haven't even had my preliminary hearing yet. Air Inuit assumes guilt until proven innocent? Do they know something I don't know?

Anyone out there who knows labour rights and would be willing to help, please feel free to call me.

To top it all off, because I reported our near-death experience on Sept. 13, they leak out to the press that I'm a drug trafficker. The police never did raid my home, I might add.

It was then I said, "I've had enough!" I reported the incident of Sept. 6 via telephone calls to the Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada, Air Inuit Dispatch and the local flight service station.

To quote Air Inuit's Jean Dupuis, "It's not our policy to make customers scared."

But it did happen: we were scared, we were traumatized.

What is their policy if they do? Myself, and five others haven't heard from them yet to this day.

Mike Shields
Kuujjuaraapik

Thanks for help with Qanuippitaa trip

I am writing this letter to express my gratitude to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and the Nasivvik Centre for Inuit Health and Changing Environments for selecting me to represent Nunavut on board the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen.

I had the opportunity to participate in the Nunavik Inuit Health Survey, Qanuippitaa, as an all-round trainee conducting various tasks. These tasks included collecting water samples, testing, results analysis, field work in the communities, lab work and conducting health and dietary surveys among other tasks.

I would especially like to thank the other trainees that were on board with me; Elizabeth Ford (Nunatsiavut), Sammy Tukkiapik (Nunavik) and Don Ross (Inuvialuit). The experience gained and the people met aboard this icebreaker will not be soon forgotten.

The Qanuippitaa survey is an important initiative and valuable tool for Nunavik Inuit to understand where the current status of their health is in an accelerated, changing environment.

I would also like to thank the Amundsen crew, the Qanuippitaa team, Neida Gonzalez (congratulations on new baby girl), Susie Bernier, Eric Loring, the Cousins clan and my family for making this journey possible.

Jenny Ipirq
Iqaluit

Recycling pays

Waste Matters Inc. is taking initiative on waste diversion issues in Iqaluit, and has advised the City to embrace composting and to increase the efficiency of its recycling program by focusing on the core items (paper, plastics, aluminum).

Composting can and does work in Iqaluit, as proven by Jim Little. We hope to see this waste stream removed from the landfill, as it makes up 35 per cent of the total landfill volume.

Of residential waste, 34 per cent is paper products (newspapers, office paper, cardboard.) It's clean and guess what — nice and heavy — and airlines need ballast. They are currently paying per litre to fill up barrels of water to ship south. Sending baled paper and cardboard south is a win-win exercise that will require plenty of effort to coordinate but it's doable.

A couple of reasons why waste diversion is essential to the vibrancy of Nunavut's capital:

1. Putting garbage in a hole in the ground has both fiscal and environmental costs. The creation of a landfill is a very expensive process in terms of city administration, consultants, labour and operations. Putting garbage in a hole doesn't make it go away. It is environmentally problematic in terms of leachate and materials that don't break down very quickly in biochemical terms.
2. The current landfill cell [dump] is almost full. Extending the cell above ground will not significantly extend the life of the landfill. Once full, the city will have to find an expensive solution in order to find a new site that does not interfere with the watershed.

The city council does have the authority and the responsibility to deal with this issue. The bottom line is that we can divert almost 70 per cent of residential waste with not too much trouble.

The city is not caving in to a few individuals as was suggested. In fact, there are many community members, including youth, who are interested in this issue. School classes have made various presentations to council on recycling because they are interested and want to be part of a healthier community.

Feedback at mass registration showed support and concern amongst community members, and, of course, all the people who continue to recycle and compost on a regular basis. We expect this support base to continually expand as residents see that waste diversion through household separation of compost, paper, plastics and aluminum has a significant impact on the life of the current landfill and a healthier community.

No one wants to relocate the landfill. It cost the City of Edmonton $20 million to investigate 100 potential sites — all of which were rejected by the public. Instead, they have chosen waste diversion to extend the life of their landfill.

According to your Sept. 10 editorial "Recycle this," the real cost of recycling is turning out to be between $250,000 to $300,000. This is totally false. The cost of recycling in itself this year would be the labour to administer, collect and bail the recyclables, the cost of the amortized vehicle and bailer, plus sealift. The sealift fee, at $15,000, is the highest expenditure this year. Not quite $250,000 is it?

Furthermore, this is not the "real cost" of recycling. The real cost would also take into account the value of diverted landfill space and its associated savings. Again, $250,000 appears to be an exaggeration, doesn't it?

Waste Matters Inc. will continue to uphold the interests of those in the community who want to see waste diversion embraced by the various governments. If we didn't voice these concerns and if public support through composting and recycling ended — Iqaluit would find itself in a messy situation both financially and environmentally. We would like to thank all Iqalungmiut for their individual waste diversion efforts!

Nick Dennahower
Coordinator
Waste Matters Inc.
Iqaluit

A brief history of Mormonism

I read with great interest your article "Mormon missionaries target Iqaluit." As a former Mormon convert for 20 years who has left the Mormon church, I feel compelled to write concerning Mormonism.

I would like to share some facts about the Mormon Church and its history that the missionaries will probably not tell you. I am not suggesting that they are intentionally deceiving you — most of the young Mormons serving missions for the church are not well-educated in the history of the church or in modern critical studies of the church. They probably do not know all the facts themselves.

They have been trained, however, to give investigators "milk before meat," that is, to postpone revealing anything at all that might make an investigator hesitant, even if it is true. But you should be aware of these facts before you commit yourself.

The Book of Mormon is a religious and secular history of the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere from about 2200 BC to about 421 AD. It tells the reader that North American aboriginal peoples are descended from three groups of immigrants, who were led by God from their original homes in the Near East to America.

One group came from the Tower of Babel, and two other groups came from Jerusalem just before the Babylonian Captivity, about 600 BC. They were led by prophets of God who had the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is thus preserved in their history, the Book of Mormon. The most important event during this long history was the visit Jesus Christ is said to have made to America, after his crucifixion, when he ministered to (and converted) all the inhabitants.

The modern Mormon Church claims that it is the only true church on the face of the Earth, as restored by God through Joseph Smith. They say that other churches, derived from the early Christian church, are in apostasy because their leaders corrupted the scriptures, changed the ordinances of the original church, and often led corrupt lives, thus losing their authority.

The facts are, however, that the detailed history and civilization described in the Book of Mormon does not correspond to anything found by archaeologists anywhere in the Americas. The Book of Mormon describes a civilization lasting for a thousand years, covering both North and South America, which was familiar with horses, elephants, cattle, sheep, wheat, barley, steel, wheeled vehicles, shipbuilding, sails, coins, and other elements of Old World culture.

But no trace of any of these supposedly very common things has ever been found in the Americas of that period. Nor does the Book of Mormon mention many of the features of the civilizations that really did exist at that time in the Americas.

The Mormon missionaries are often charming and enthusiastic. They have an attractive story to tell. At first it sounds wonderful. But remember the old saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"

Examine carefully both sides of the Mormon story. Listen to the stories of those who have been through an unhappy Mormon experience, not just those Mormons who may speak glowingly of life in the church.

Paul Brault
Winnipeg

Too many so-called Inuksuit

The Inuksuk is fast becoming the most popular symbol of Inuit culture.

Like anything that becomes popular, it runs the risk of being bent out of shape to give tourists and others what they would like to see. I am concerned that too many innunguat (and these are not Inuksuit) are being built all over the place.

These so-called Inuksuit have heads, arms and legs. Inuit never built Inuksuit with heads, arms and legs. Inuksuk means, "rocks that can act in the place of a person". It's like a spirit called "Tarriasuk" — "like a shadowy person." Like the Inuksuk, "Tarriasuk" is not a person, but is a symbol of what it means to be a person — a glimpse into the spirit world.

Our ancestors, for thousands of years, built Inuksuit as "nalunaipkutait" — rock objects that are used for communication and for survival.

This is what Inuksuit were. They were not people. They were the voices of people — symbolic ways of saying things to us. Inuksuit, voiceless rocks piled on top of each other, are built along the good hunting places, good fishing places and to indicate good seal hunting areas.

They were built to indicate where there was a caribou cache. Every Inuksuk was built for a reason, to be noticed and to give a message — to be the voices of our ancestors — for those of us traveling on our land.

Building an Inuksuk is like raising a baby. You want to build it to have a great deal of meaning. You want to give it a strong, wise voice, so that it will be remembered and respected by people who are journeying on the land, hunting or fishing.

When I am out on the land, I am never scared because I know that my ancestors have lived or walked through areas, where there are Inuksuit. Inuksuit are land markers, like the highway signs in the south. They communicate to you as a traveler. They help you to survive. Just like signs lining the highways in the South, they provide information about where to eat, sleep and rest. We use the Inuksuk on our Nunavut flag to indicate our patience, and as a symbol of the importance of Inuit culture to our survival.

Inuksuk is also used as a proper name by Inuit in Nunavut. There is an ancient Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit law that stops Inuit from damaging or destroying Inuksuit. This is the message that I received from my mother's teachings a long ago.

More recently, when I was talking about Inuksuit to my elder relative in Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay), he told me the same thing. He told me that if you knock down Inuksuit, you could shorten your life.

Some people may think that this kind of thinking has no place in a modern world. But it is part of our way of life and respecting Inuksuit is one way of reminding ourselves about who we are, the wisdom of our elders and ancestors and of our relationship with and respect for our land.

It is our responsibility to pass this understanding on to future generations of Inuit. This law does not apply to Inunnguat, as these are being built under the cultural influence of Qablunaaq (southern Canadians or Europeans). There is good reason for preserving real Inuit Inuksuit. In them — and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge) — we can find what it means to be Inuk.

Peter Irniq
Iqaluit

In remembrance of our dearest friend

On October 1, 2003, Michael Clint Tooktoo was taken from this earth so unexpectedly, leaving two beautiful daughters (Sivanau, four years old and Angel, one year old) whom he dearly was so proud of.

"Michael, you will forever live in our hearts, until the day we shall meet again for eternity. Mike, we miss you, we love you and you will never be forgotten wherever your spirit may be!"

Julia, Natalie, Sivanau and Angel
Umiujaq

Remembering Sydney Sime

Sydney Sime, a former resident of Frobisher Bay, has died after a brief illness.

Syd is survived by his wife, June, and daughters Fiona and Sharon. Both girls were born at the Baffin hospital in 1969 and 1970. He also leaves two grandchildren.

Syd was born in Scotland, where he studied electrical engineering. He was employed by the Northern Canada Power Corp. in Frobisher Bay and Yellowknife. In later years he served as a consultant to the power corporation.

Before emigrating to Canada, Syd served with the Royal Scottish Regiment in Palestine. Syd was a full member of the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. He was well-read, educated, informed and very funny.

A memorial service celebrating his life was held in Edmonton this past Wednesday.

Bryan Pearson
Iqaluit

Youth group discusses "labeling"

We were very pleased and appreciative that Nunatsiaq News chose to write about our weekend conference in last week's newspaper.

Y.E.A.H. North (Youth Educating About Health) is a group that helps teach youth (peer-to-peer) about healthy sexual decision-making. Our discussions and presentations were on a wide range of topics that surround healthy sexual decision-making. Some topics covered were STDs, birth control, pregnancy, abuse, assault, human rights, available resources, etc.

The article on our weekend focused primarily on a presentation that included a discussion on homosexuality. Our concern with the article was that it focused on only one of many topics discussed. The woman (classified as a "real live lesbian" in the article) gave a wonderful presentation to the youth on her experiences and her sexual preference. As questions were answered and conversations continued, the issues of labeling were discussed. The outcome of the talk was that she preferred not to be labeled as a "dyke," "butch," "lesbian" etc., but just as "Debbie."

Our intention is not to shock or be disrespectful, but to indicate that sexual orientation was only one topic of discussion at our weekend conference.

To identify someone by their sexual orientation in your paper seems to be indicative of the struggle of society for anything perceived to be sexually "different."

We hope that readers talk to each other about this letter with their children, parents and friends about sex and sexuality, and make it more of a normal topic than a mystery. We look forward to meeting with other youth and making the world a safer, more caring, and more respectful and responsible place.

The youth of Y.E.A.H. North
Iqaluit

Editor's note: We never identify any person's sexual orientation unless it's relevant to the story. In this case, Debbie Paquette identified herself as a lesbian at a workshop that was held, in part, to discuss issues connected to sexual orientation. Therefore, we deemed it relevant to the story.

Community not responsible for dead man

I would like to comment on the many facts misrepresented in last week's article on the unfortunate death of Johnny Aloupa in Kuujjuaq. The credibility of the main source, Candy Ikey, as well as the statements she provided should have been verified.

After having met with the Ungava Tulattavik Health Center's executive director, the Social Services staff, key members of the Kativik Regional Police Force, and having talked to the deceased person's family, the facts are as follows:

Johnny Aloupa arrived in Kuujjuaq on Aug. 7 on a medevac from Quaqtaq. Two days later, he was considered fit enough to be released from the hospital, where he was slated to go back home and then later to the rehabilitation centre in Inukjuaq.

He apparently wanted to stay in Kuujjuaq longer so he convinced social service staff to that effect. He overnighted at the UTHC hospital until the morning of Aug. 20, the last time he took his pills from the hospital to combat his frequent epileptic seizures.

The hospital knew that he was liable to have a massive and possibly fatal seizure after going without his medication for three to four days. He was seen in town until at least the Aug. 31. Family members of the deceased believe that Johnny was last seen on Sept. 6 in Kuujjuaq.

On the Sept. 6, the KRPF and the municipality of Kuujjuaq were notified that Johnny was missing and that he might be in Kuujjuaq. From there, the last seen date and place were very sketchy at best.

The KRPF had to figure out his whereabouts, either in Inukjuaq or Kuujjuaq, where he may have been last seen, and to work out a search strategy. Boats, abandoned vehicles, shacks, ATV, ski-doo and bicycle trails were searched. The body was recovered around six o'clock in the evening on Friday, Sept. 10. It was under thick brush a few feet from an asphalt road.

The family and the community were notified by 8 p.m. At that time, I talked with George Peters, and recommended to him that he go on local radio on behalf of the Kuujjuaq Inn board, in order to mention whether or not the bar would remain open or not. He promptly went on the radio and, in fluent Inuttitut, explained that he had discussed the issue with me and that he was on the air on behalf of the Kuujjuaq Inn and not on behalf of the mayor.

It is unfortunate that Candy Ikey did not understand much of what George Peters said and conveyed succinctly to the population. It may have been caused either by Ikeys' misunderstanding of Inuttitut or a lack of concentration. It is also unfortunate that the people she surrounds herself with make her feel that she is living in an open bar.

The article ends by asking the question of how Quaqtaq is feeling. After having spoken repeatedly to the family of the late Johnny Aloupa: they want answers from Social Services and they pass no blame on the population of Kuujjuaq. I have repeated this to the population of Kuujjuaq as well as regionally on CBC Iqaluit Radio, CBC Tuttavik Radio in Nunavik, and locally over CKUJ-FM.

The unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of Johnny Aloupa should never be repeated and we are committed to work with the responsible organizations towards this end.

I would like to thank all those who took part in the search including the KRPF, NVK staff, the Canadian Rangers and above all: concerned citizens of Kuujjuaq. And, of course, our deepest condolences go to the family of the late Johnny Aloupa.

Michael Gordon
Kuujjuaq

Alcohol no excuse for murder

First of all my regards to Tanya Nowdlak for her father's death.

The justice system is very strange for us common people. To understand it, you have to study it.

Lawyers will do anything to win their case, no matter what the circumstances of the accused. For the lawyer of the accused, don't you have any shame for arguing that the accused was intoxicated?

Alcohol or drugs don't put themselves in the person's mouth all by themselves. They have no effect when you let them be.

And to use the intoxicated state of an accused as an excuse is not right. He already made a conscious decision to drink alcoholic beverages and must be held responsible and accountable for his actions. How a lawyer can defend an irresponsible drinker is beyond me.

You can get intoxicated and be violent or kill someone and get away with it is what the lawyers seems to be saying.

Larry Putugu
Puvirnituq

October 1, 2004

Letter writer should contact RCMP

I am writing in response to an anonymous letter published in last week's newspaper ("RCMP not protecting elderly victim," Sept. 24). I wish to reiterate our commitment to providing quality police response and service to all the people of Iqaluit, and, indeed, Nunavut.

All of the police officers who serve in Nunavut are here because they requested to be here: they are dedicated and professional men and women who respond to literally thousands of calls a year. Each call is investigated thoroughly and, if charges are warranted, then charges are laid.

However, it must be understood that we operate under the very laws that we enforce and, as such, we can only lay charges when we have the evidence to do so. There is a difference between what we suspect may have happened and what we can prove in court and this is why we constantly ask the public for their assistance in solving crimes as we cannot be everywhere all the time.

Unfortunately, your writer did not provide his or her name; therefore, I am unable to respond directly to them, however, we have significant processes in place to deal with situations where members of the community do not feel that the police service that they received was at a standard that people expect from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The first step is to contact the commander of the local detachment. Any complaint or concern will be investigated.

Policing is not an exact science and we deal with situations that are often extremely volatile with emotions running high. Our officers are trained to defuse the situation, gather information and evidence, and lay charges if appropriate — but only, of course, if there is evidence to support those charges.

In 2003, the Iqaluit RCMP detachment responded to 6,128 calls for assistance. Across Nunavut, we responded to 11,835 complaints of a breach of the Criminal Code. Certainly, we arrest intoxicated people and provide them a place to "sleep it off" for their own safety as well as for the safety of those around them, but we also deal with a large number of serious cases and are proud of our record in dealing with them successfully.

I invite the writer of this letter to contact me personally to discuss his or her concerns.

J.F. (John) Henderson, C/Supt
Commanding officer, "V" Division
Iqaluit

October 1, 2004

Gratitude for locating missing man

I would like to express my appreciation to the people of Kuujjuaq, the Kativik Regional Police Force and the Canadian Rangers of Kuujjuaq on behalf of Quaqtamiut for their assistance in locating Mr. Johnny Aloupa.

You were expedient in locating him under the circumstances and our gratitude will be with you always.

The love and compassion expressed by numerous people is much appreciated.

I hope similar incidents do not occur to other families in the future.

God bless Nunavik.
Mayor Johnny Oovaut
Northern Village of Quaqtaq

October 1, 2004

Iqaluit's water is safe to drink

This letter is written in response to the article "Iqaluit's Bootleg Water Operation," which appeared in your paper on September 17, 2004. The article contains several comments that we feel are incorrect and/or misleading to the public, and which we wish to correct.

The article implies that the City operating without a water license is their own doing. The reporter later explains that the previous license was not signed by the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and that one of the delays in the process for the City obtaining a new license was an ongoing court case between INAC and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. This of course is reported in the article, but not until after it is implied that the City is in the wrong.

The article also reports that the City was "facing resistance to getting a license," and says that, "Every government agency, plus one concerned citizen, asked the water board to delay giving Iqaluit a water license," and that, "Federal officials with those departments lobbied the water board to temporarily withhold a water license from Iqaluit."

These are all incorrect and misleading statements.

The Nunavut Water Board hearing held on September 2 and 3 of 2004 were preliminary technical hearings to assist the City in their water license application submission.

The purpose of the preliminary hearings was to allow the City an opportunity to discuss the license with regulators prior to formal public hearings and the subsequent issuing of a license. Although we had every right to, the City did not object to any public who may have been in attendance.

A public hearing is currently scheduled for October of 2004 but will likely be delayed.

At no time during the two days did any government agency or official asked for a delay in issuing a license, or ask for the license to be withheld. The meeting was part of the water license application process that is continuing. The regulator agencies did recommend delaying the public hearing for the water license to allow the City adequate time to respond to some of the questions and comments from the technical session.

The City has been operating without a water license for the past three years as the Indian and Northern Affairs minister would not sign the water license issued by the Nunavut Water Board in 2000 due to onerous conditions which would have been imposed on the City. Conditions included in a water license are legally binding, exposing the City to potentially significant fines and jail time for staff should the conditions of the license not be met.

Contrary to the impression from the article the tone of the meeting held on September 2 and 3 was very positive, and the City received praise for their cooperative approach, and efforts to address the concerns of the regulators.

While the City did face many questions, this was the purpose of the meeting, to identify information required by the regulators prior to the public meeting. Questions posed by the regulators were reasonable and for the most part expected.

The article suggests that since the City does not have a water license we should not be treating and distributing water, collecting and treating sewage, and collecting and disposing of the City's garbage. The City must continue to provide essential services to its residences, and does so in a safe and responsible manner.

The article states that "Iqaluit also failed in their application to prove that the city's drinking water is safe." To suggest to your readership that their drinking water is unsafe without comment from the City is irresponsible.

The City tests water from eleven sites weekly to confirm the absence of bacteria and to confirm adequate chlorine levels are present. In addition, the Department of Health performs monthly testing of the City's water. The results of both the City and Department of Health testing have not raised any significant concerns with respect to the quality of the drinking water in the past three years.

Boiled water advisories have been issued several times in the past year due to water line breaks. These were not included in the water license application as none of these had been issued prior to submission of the water license application. This was explained to the regulators satisfaction at the meeting. It is important to note that there is a difference between an advisory, which is of a precautionary nature, and a boiled water order, which is issued by the Department of Health. To my knowledge there have not been any boil water orders issued by the Department of Health over the past three years in Iqaluit.

The City continues to have a good working relationship with INAC, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans and the various departments of the Government of Nunavut. We anticipate this relationship will continue through the water license review process and beyond.

Finally, it is difficult for the City to understand how Mr. Younger-Lewis can accurately report on the tone of a meeting that he did not attend.

Brad L. Sokach, Director of Engineering
City of Iqaluit

October 1, 2004

In loving memory of Matama Kisa

We miss you a lot and we will never forget you and you'll be in our hearts forever. You left us with good memories.

I think about you and about how you were always kind, gentle, smart and a good friend. Matama, you loved going hunting, playing with your keyboard and hockey. You were a special friend to everybody you knew.

Each day passes by, but you are never forgotten.

Some days, I feel empty, but you have filled us with thankfulness and loving kindness that you left us.

I miss you so much because you were so close to me, but your parents and family misses you more. You left us good memories and we will never forget you.

Matama, we love you and hope to meet you in heaven soon.

Tony Taylor Dialla and friends
Panniqtuuq

October 1, 2004

Sylvia Lyall remembered inaccurately

I very seldom write to the media or public figures. But matters of the heart have stung me and my loved ones hard.

In reference to the Sept. 17, 2004 edition of Nunatsiaq News, your reporter incorrectly described a couple of facts about my dearly deceased sister, Sylvia Lyall.

To begin with, he reported in the July 2, 2004 edition of Nunatsiaq News that Sylvia was 41: this fact is correct. Yet, in the Sept. 17 edition, he states that she is 44. The inconsistencies in reporting material in the matter of just 77 days implies that your reporter needs to do more research and verify his facts before they are in print.

More importantly, he describes Sylvia as the wife of the accused murderer, when, in fact, Sylvia was NOT the wife, common-law or otherwise to her accused murderer.

Another matter I wish to point out is that when I was in Iqaluit days after my sister was murdered, reporter Greg Younger-Lewis contacted me for a lengthy telephone interview. There was no mention of what I told him in your July 2 edition. This was especially disturbing because he was quite persistent in his questioning and here I was, dealing with something beyond my belief.

The importance of correct reporting and description means all the world to our family and can make a difference in the perceived perception that exists around this very unfortunate situation.

By the way, we did fly kites in 30 below, 40-mile-an-hour winds...

Kathy Meyer
On behalf of the Lyall family
Iqaluit

October 1, 2004

Even small amount of alcohol damages fetus

In your most recent paper, you write "babies born to women who drink excessively while pregnant..." suffer from FASD.

I would like to see that you make a correction on that and delete "excessively."

The message that we need our child-bearing mothers to hear is that any amount of drinking while pregnant is not safe. Even a small amount can hurt an unborn developing child.

Jeela Palluq
Ottawa

TOP

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

More Information