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Around Nunavik
February 3, 2006
Nunavik needs own assembly seat: Makivik, KRG
Nunavik needs its own seat in Quebec’s National Assembly, according to the heads of Makivik Corp. and the Kativik Regional Government.
Nunavimmiut number close to 10,000, only a tiny slice of the 221,893 voters contained in the same electoral boundary, known as the Ungava Division.
Pita Aatami, president of Makivik Corp, said residents of Nunavik have little in common with other Ungava voters and aren’t “totally represented” by their member of the National Assembly.
The Inuit of Nunavik have demanded a seat of their own in the national assembly for many years, according to Maggie Emudluk, chair of the KRG.
“In 1972, several Inuit from Nunavik made a 2,500-kilometre trip, by snowmobile, from Ivujivik to Quebec to suggest Premier Bourassa an electoral division be created for Nunavik. More than 30 years later, we want more than ever to have our own representative at the National Assembly,” she said in a press release.
Both say that if the Magdalen Islands deserves its own electoral division because they’re unique, so does Nunavik.
February 3, 2006
Lévesque wins easy re-election
Nunavik’s Member of Parliament was easily re-elected on Jan. 23.
The Bloc Québécois’s Yvon Lévesque received 13,928 votes, or 46.57 per cent of the ballots cast in a race against five other candidates.
That’s more than double what Liberal Armand Caouette received, with 6,700 votes. Caouette was followed closely by the Conservative’s Gilles Gagnon, with 6,261 votes.
Lévesque promised during the campaign he would lobby for a longer airstrip for Puvirnituq and fight for tax rebates on snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.
He also said he wants to see improved water quality and continued efforts to clean up old mining sites around Nunavik.
January 13, 2006
Taqramiut Nipingat celebrates its 30th
Taqramiut Nipingat Inc., Nunavik’s Inuttitut-language broadcaster, held a gala to celebrate its 30th anniversary on Dec. 8 in Kuujjuaq, and to honour the many Nunavimmiut and organizations which have contributed to TNI over the years.
Bob Mesher, William Tagoona, Paddy Gardiner, Paulusi Thomasi, Jusipi Padlayat, Eva S. Audlaluk, Charlie Shipaluk, Charlie Adams, Bob May Jr., Sammy Duncan, Putulik Illisituk and Lizzie Saviadjuk were recognized for their contributions to TNI, while special mention was given to George Kakayuk and Elashuk Pauyungie.
In 2004, Kakayuk also received an award during at TNI’s annual general meeting in Salluit, for his many years of involvement with TNI, while Pauyungie received an award at that same occasion in recognition of her 18 consecutive years of work with TNI.
The organizations that received awards at the TNI gala included Makivik Corporation, Kativik Regional Government, Canadian Heritage, Quebec’s department for cultural communities, Nunavik Investment Corporation, Kativik School Board, Air Inuit, Kativik Regional Development Council, the Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
TNI now has a new Montreal home in 2006, at 1255 Rte. Trans-Canada, suite 140 in Dorval.
January
6, 2006
Montreal Inuit elect new board
Members of the Inuit community of Montreal held a special meeting Dec. 9 to
elect a new board of directors for the Association of Montreal Inuit.
The new board members are Lisa Koperqualuk, president; Jobie Weetaluktuk, vice-president;
Jennifer Hunter, secretary; Andy Pirti, treasurer; and directors Vickie Okpik,
Paulossie Mikpegak and Lydia Etok.
After several discussions, it was decided that an election procedure would
be followed in order to select a board that would be truly representative of
the Inuit living in Montreal, the organization said in a news release.
For the past six years, AMI has represented Inuit living in Montreal. Some
of its objectives include charitable services, as well as training services
to enable needy Inuit to become self-supporting.
The AMI organizes social, cultural and sports events for Canadian Inuit of
all ages.
January
6, 2006
Isuarsivik restructures for 2006
After closing down to clients in October following the firing of its director,
the Isuarsivik Treatment Centre in Kuujjuaq has embarked on a restructuring,
said board president Dave Forrest.
The new board of directors will receive training, while a task force and ad
hoc committees are carrying out a complete review of the centre’s internal
operations. The search for a new centre director continues.
“We decided to take a negative and turn it into a positive,” Forrest
said.
A new treatment cycle will begin early next year.
Until then, Forrest said the centre will assist Nunavimmiut who want addiction
treatment to find other treatment programs in Ottawa or Goose Bay.
“If people are serious, they will be looked after,” Forrest said.
AA programs are offered twice weekly at the Catholic Mission in Kuujjuaq, Wednesdays
and Fridays at 8 p.m
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