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Around Nunavut

October 7, 2005

Boost legal aid, lawyers urge feds

The Canadian Bar Association is calling on the federal government to boost funding for legal aid in the next federal budget.

The CBA, a national association of lawyers, also wants that federal money to be tied to the amount being spent by each provincial or territorial government.

Legal aid is an especially important service in Nunavut because of a “presumed eligibility” policy. That is, anyone in Nunavut who is charged with an offence is automatically entitled to free service from the Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik legal aid clinic.

October 7, 2005

Ottawa to host forum on violence against aboriginal women

A policy forum to discuss violence against aboriginal women will be held in Ottawa in the early spring.

Ministers responsible for the status of women committed to the idea of the forum when they met in Regina in late September. They say the forum will be an opportunity for aboriginal women to speak about their experiences and challenges, and their stories will help shape future government policy.

National aboriginal women’s organizations agree that government researchers and policy makers should actually meet and speak with aboriginal women themselves.

October 7, 2005

Two plead guilty to bloody assault

Two young Iqaluit residents pleaded guilty to aggravated assault charges in court this week.

The charges date back to early August, when RCMP discovered a 28-year-old man bleeding from multiple stab wounds near the Arnakadlak building, in the early morning of Aug 1.

The victim had surgery in the Baffin Regional Hospital for stab wounds to his stomach and neck.

Douglas Katsak, 18, and Jason Kilabuk, 21, were both charged with aggravated assault, attempted murder and robbery.

They’re to appear in court next for pre-sentencing reports on Nov. 14.

October 7, 2005

Harper named Danish honorary consul

Kenn Harper, the Iqaluit historian, businessman, former teacher, and Nunatsiaq News columnist, was named Denmark’s honourary consul for Nunavut last week by Poul Erik Kristensen, Denmark’s ambassador to Canada.

In an interview with Embassy an weekly Ottawa newsmagazine that covers diplomatic and foreign policy issues, Kristensen said the purpose of Denmark’s new consulate in Nunavut is to develop circumpolar co-operation and to maintain cultural ties between Nunavut and Greenland.

In the same article, Harper said one of his priorities will be to work towards the restoration of scheduled air services between Iqaluit and Nuuk.

Greenlandair pulled out of the route in the fall of 2001, and at the same time, First Air decided that they couldn’t afford to offer a scheduled Iqaluit-Nuuk service on its own.

Since then, travellers going to Nuuk from Iqaluit have been forced to either use expensive charters, or take a circuitous route through Ottawa, Boston, Reykjavik, and then Greenland.

Kristensen said fisheries, polar bear conservation, sustainable energy and the environment are other areas that the new honorary consulate will work on.

October 7, 2005

Flu shots for all Nunavummiut

Anyone in Nunavut who wants a flu shot may now get one from the GN’s health department this winter.

Until now, the GN has offered flu vaccinations to those at risk: infants, older people, people with chronic lung diseases, and people with weak immune systems.

In healthy people, the flu is rarely fatal, though it can make them sick for a week to 10 days.

But for those at risk, the flu can lead to worse diseases, such as pneumonia, and can cause life-threatening complications.

In a press release issued this week, the GN now says they’re offering “universal coverage” to reduce the effect of influenza on families and on the economy.

Until now, about 40 per cent of Nunavut’s population has been vaccinated annually.

October 7, 2005

Healthy stores project moves ahead in Cambridge Bay

The Ikaluktutiak Co-op and the Northern Store have agreed to take part in a new program to make healthy food cheaper and more accessible to people in Cambridge Bay.

Dr. Joel Gittelson from the John Hopkins School for Public Health was in Cambridge for the second time last month to prepare community members to do groundwork for the program, called Healthy Stores.

The project works by asking grocery store owners to increase the healthy foods on their shelves. Then, in exchange for them agreeing to stock those foods, the project leaders agree to promote them through educational displays, cooking demonstrations, recipes, special labels, and the local media.

Gittelson is training two people to do interviews to help with planning the project’s first locations in Cambridge and Taloyoak.

If successful, the program could eventually be expanded to other communities in Nunavut.

October 7, 2005

Mining companies not eligible for food mail

As of Oct. 1, mining companies, construction crews, exploration camps and weather stations are officially booted off the eligibility list for the national food mail subsidy.

Food mail allows northern food stores and individuals to ship nutritious perishable foods, healthy non-perishable food and essential non-food items like detergent and shampoo at a reduced cargo rate.

In the past, mines voluntarily refrained from accessing the program, but in recent years, a DIAND press release says, some suppliers in the South have begun offering direct food mail shipments to government and business outposts, and others have inquired as to whether it’s allowed.

“Canada Post asked for some clarification on that because some businesses were wondering if they could ship to mines,” said Fred Hill, manager of northern food security for the department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa.

“That isn’t the intent of the program and those direct shipments should not be allowed.”

October 7, 2005

Bookkeeping program proposed

The Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce plans to push for the development of a bookkeeping program offered through Nunavut Arctic College.

The end goal would be to have a bookkeeper in every community, so that small businesses like local outfitters have someone to help keep their finances straight, said Bob Long from the chamber.

The decision came from meetings held during the summer. The next step will be to hire a consultant to develop the curriculum, which could then be pitched to the Nunavut Arctic College as a course.

Other initiatives of the chamber include plans to resurrect the Baffin Business Directory by the trade show next spring, and to plan a rotating trade show through the communities that would target high school students, encouraging them to become business people, not bureaucrats. It would be held every two months over the next two years.

“It would be like a traveling road show,” Long said.

October 7, 2005

It’s sun transit time

Northwestel issued a press release this week reminding people that for every day between Oct. 5 and Oct. 18, people in northern communities will see short-lived disruptions in telecommunications.

It’s caused by a phenomenon called “sun transit,” and occurs every spring and fall.

When satellites pass directly between the earth and the sun, natural radio frequencies from the sun overpower signals sent out by satellites.

The disruptions, which will occur for a few minutes every day between now and Oct. 18, affect long distance telephone service, internet and satellite television. Local phone services aren’t affected.

October 7, 2005

GN appoints new IQ advisory council

The Government of Nunavut appointed the second council of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.

The role of the council is to provide advice to the government so its operations reflect Inuit traditional knowledge.

The newly appointed members are: Elik Tologanak of Cambridge Bay; Arnaoyok Alookee of Taloyoak; Jimmy Muckpak of Arviat; Simon Nattaq of Iqaluit; Percy Pikuyak of Hall Beach; Cecelia Angotialuk of Repulse Bay; Jaycopie Ikalujuaq of Clyde River; and Peeturusi Kaapi of Pangnirtung.

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