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NTI VP of finance seeks re-election Feb. 21

“I think we need to see more benefits going to Inuit”

JOHN THOMPSON

The Government of Nunavut needs to get moving on a trade school, according to James Eetoolook, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s first vice president and vice-president of finance, as he pursues re-election.

“We always seem to get tradespeople from outside the territory,” Eetoolook said during an interview last Friday.

That’s one cause he’ll push for if re-elected on March 21, said Eetoolook, who hopes to hang on to his job.

“I like working with people. And I think we need to see more benefits going to Inuit,” he said.

Eetoolook is a venerable dinosaur in the world of land claim agreements. He first joined the old Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, NTI’s precursor, when it was formed in 1982, and he’s one of the signatories to the Nunavut land claims agreement.

“I think we’ve come a long way,” he said.

But he still sees work ahead. That includes building an economic base for the territory, and ensuring that Inuit reap the benefits.

He says the recent meetings in Cambridge Bay about Miramar’s proposed Doris North gold mine are encouraging — provided that companies stick to the rules that are meant to protect the environment and ensure Inuit are employed.

Eetoolook also says some long awaited infrastructure projects, like a Bathurst Inlet port and road, as well as Iqaluit’s proposed deep-water port, are equally important for Nunavut’s economy to mature.

He has less to say about NTI’s own finances. Over the last decade NTI racked up large debts from borrowing more than it could repay from the Nunavut Trust. Last fall the Trust scolded NTI for its lavish spending and enforced more strict rules on borrowing.

“We’re trying to cut back as much as we can,” Eetoolook said, although he was short on specifics. “I can’t pinpoint it. It was kind of overall,” he said.

He acknowledges that voter turnout for NTI elections is low. “Nowadays people are busy. People are hunting. Maybe sometimes they forget,” he said.

To address this, NTI created a contest for high school students this election. Students are encouraged to write and produce public service announcements about why voting in NTI elections is important. Winners from each of the three regions will be heard on CBC radio as election day approaches.

Eetoolook said he hopes to hear from beneficiaries during the election so he learns better what they want. “Give us your ideas,” he said.

Nominations for first vice-president and president of finance close on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The job’s term is four years. For more information, contact NTI’s chief returning officer, Patrick Tagoona, at 1-877-NTI-2006.

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