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Back to August, 2002 Archive Index
Letters to the Editor Work on United Way gets started in Iqaluit On Friday July 26, the Royal Bank staff hosted a barbecue for the people of Iqaluit to inform them that there is an organizing committee attempting to establish a United Way for Nunavut. I would like to thank the Royal Bank Staff, NorthMart and Petersen and Auger for their kind support of this barbecue. At the barbecue, Ed Picco, the minister of health and social services, presented a cheque for $15,000 to the municipality of Iqaluit, which in turn, presented the cheque to the Illitiit Society. This money is to be used as seed money for the organizing committee to assist them in developing this important service (the United Way). The funding came from the kind contributions of the departments of community government and transportation, education, and health and social services. I am writing this letter to express our appreciation to Manitok Thompson, the minister of community government and transportation, Ed Picco, the minister of health and social services, and Peter Kilabuk, the minister of education. The staff of community government and transportation worked hard to assist us in the process of applying for these funds and in signing the contribution agreement. Through your support, I believe the organizing committee will be able to work for this next year in organizing a United Way, possibly with the target of the fall of 2003, as our first campaign. John Matthews, the mayor of Iqaluit, was present to present the cheque to Illitiit. Our thanks for this trust go to Mayor Matthews and the Iqaluit City Council. We announced the appointment of Gord Rennie to the role of developing the United Way as an organization. His first tasks will be to establish a membership, a board of directors, goals, objectives and the committee structure for the organization. This is a big job, and Gord is the man to do it. He cannot, however, do this without all of our support. The spirit, and energy experienced by us all at the barbecue, and the interest of those who attended — and there were many — indicates the commitment of the citizens of Iqaluit toward this important service — a United Way for all of Nunavut. Bill Riddell August 2, 2002 Kakivak funding policies too narrow My recent application to the Kakivak Association for school funding was rejected, as my application was for "a general college program that does not clearly lead to long-term work. Kakivak’s mandate focuses on specific job-oriented training leading to long-term employment. We usually leave funding for general college and university programs to FANS." I find this stance by Kakivak disturbing and outrageous. It was set up to assist all Inuit of the Qikiqtaaluk region, and I believe their position needs to be updated. Not only is a college degree a guarantee of long-term work, especially for an Inuk in Nunavut where we have a difficult enough time hiring educated white people to fill high-end jobs; but also a necessity for Inuit in general if we are to realize the dream of Nunavut — this dream, among other things, being a certain percentage of Inuit employment and Inuit representation at higher levels of all organizations, government and non-government. I believe the "dream" of Nunavut is being stifled by my regional association’s narrow-minded view of "training and development" and it’s inability to recognize real-world issues, and the real-world solutions to those issues. We will never achieve the lofty goals set out by the men and women who negotiated our land claim if we continue to think that short-term, job-specific training is the way to educate our people. Now, I anticipate the negative responses I will receive stating that the government of Nunavut has set up the Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students program to assist Nunavummiut in attending university, but statements such as those will merely demonstrate (once again) the unwillingness of the Inuit organizations and territorial government to work together to advance the lives of Nunavummiut, and necessarily, the state of the territory. FANS is set up to help all Nunavummiut, not just Inuit. Kakivak was setup to advance the well being of the Inuit of the Qikiqtaaluk region, something they have not done in my case. Mosha Folger Congratulations for Ocean Awareness Day Congratulations to the residents of Tuktoyaktuk on holding the "Ocean Awareness" Day. Our little Earth needs a lot of respect and tending to and recognizing one of its major life lines it provides is a good idea. Wouldn't it be neat if all the humans would unite in conserving what little is left of the rain forests, the pollution-free waters, plants like lichen, seaweed, just to name a few, to be taken care of in ensuring that toxic wastes do not extinguish them? Another neat idea would be to set up an international forum in publishing a newletter as to what's happening in the earth's waters. Thank God the oceans are free to move to make waves regardless of boundaries, politically correctness, and so on. The ocean was created to provide food, livelihood, and not to fight over who gets what from where. Also, a few years back, I wrote a little essay at the Arctic College as to what kind of business I would own. Part of that business was to collect recyclables and ship them on the empty south-bound transports. Seeing this as an actuality is a great reward for all those people that work hard in being "mother-earth-friendly." Keep up the good work! Here's an idea - some bureaucrats can get a much needed "pat-on-the-back" gesture to get their priviledged status in gear! Set-up an annual contest amongst the northern communities as to who can conserve the most per capita by collecting all those sweet-tasting liquid containers, frizzy liquid containers, once-alive writing stuff, etc., and return them on those light south-bound thinaminjiks. Their reward would be simple: an international recognition at the United Nations. Good intentions always seem to work wonders. Please make use of the nice blue containers to keep our world green. Blue boxes are a lot nicer to fill than those landfills! Tavvaovusi! Annie Teemotee Mitsima
August 9, 2002 Thank-you to Doug Lem from the homeless The clients of the Okota Homeless Shelter would like to express their appreciation for the generous donations that have been donated, throughout the year, by Nunavut Catering and Consulting Services. Thank you very much, Doug Lem and your staff, and thank you also to the businesses, organizations and individuals who have been considerate to the needy. The Homeless
August 9, 2002 The real issues behind the NNI squabble Understandably, both sides of the parties squabbling over the NNI policy and the "grandfathering clause" have legitimate concerns. Generally, it seems Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is concerned about the government's compliance with Article 24 of the Land Claims Agreement, the "Inuit hiring policy". While generally, it seems, the government is concerned about creating undue hardship for companies. However, I think there are more issues to this other than "grandfathering clauses" and compliance issues that need to be addressed. Companies, especially construction companies, that are awarded government contracts do hire Inuit or northerners as required by government policies. That's fine. My uncle who went to an apprenticeship college for over four years finally received his Journeyperson certificate in January 2001. He often left home to go to Alberta or Fort Smith, NWT, and often left his wife and children several months at a time to finish his courses. He persevered and never gave up hope, even though there were trying times. He often had no money and therefore had no money to send to his family. He's a natural-born woodsman and enjoys his work. After he received his certificate, he starting looking for work in his home community. There were few jobs that called for a certified Journeyman. The construction season came and he was hired. The ugly farce of the story is he was paid $12 per hour - the minimum the company paid its general labourers. The construction company that was awarded the government project was aware of his level of education, but gave him only a $2-an-hour increase. After several months of no change in pay he decided to look for something else. Of course, the community had little to offer. What can a person in this situation do? Call a government agency to file a complaint? Would this lower pay be even considered a complaint? Should he stay with the job because that's the only one available? Inuit will be hired all right. We'll just not be paid the same. Or be hired for higher levels of positions. Sandra Omik
August 9, 2002 Whale watching more beneficial than whale hunting It was with good reason that the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board scolded the media for showing an interest - and excitement - in publicizing the hunting of another bowhead whale. Public opinion opposes the hunt. Modern killing equipment, fast boats and cellular phones do not look "traditional" on TV. A newspaper photograph of a sedentary whale being shot dead looks more like the proverbial fish in a barrel than a test of the bravery and pride of the whale hunters. Killing off this highly endangered population of great whales one by one for "quasi-ceremonial purposes" does not wash well with the rest of the world. In the international arena, Canada is known as a pirate whaling nation, the only developed country to whale outside the authority of the International Whaling Commission. The commission's scientific committee and top Canadian whale researchers have repeatedly criticized the hunting of this small population of whales because of concerns that the bowhead might go extinct in Nunavut. Communities such as Hall Beach and Igloolik, who are lucky enough to live with this surviving population of very old whales, should be encouraged to continue developing whale watching operations and other tourism opportunities. Tourism benefits everyone. Another bowhead hunt hurts us all. And blaming the media for everything certainly doesn't solve anything. To read our society's July 2001 report titled "Canada's War on Whales: Will the Bowhead survive?" please visit our website http://www.whaleprotection.org/cmeps. Annelise Sorg, Executive Director
August 9, 2002 Are Kuujjuaq employers incompetent? I live in the Inuit community of Kuujjuaq, which is situated at the base of the Ungava Bay in northern Quebec. After working in accounting and administration for over 20 years for different organizations within the community, it amazes me what employers in Kuujjuaq are able to get away with in terms of the treatment of their employees. Without mentioning names, here are few examples: One employer dismissed me without warning, notice or discussion by hand delivering a termination of contract to my house after 5 p.m. and confiscating my office keys. My behaviour on that particular day was cited as the reason. My doctor wrote the employer a letter that I had not been taking my prescription properly and was having dizziness, headaches and irritability, but to no avail. In regards to my behaviour, I admit that I was not myself, however I was not making scenes or being louder anything. I was having a bad day, which happens to all of us. It's worth mentioning that my coworkers' employment was not terminated for bad behaviour without reason, poor attendance, work habits and work performance. For the same salary, this co-worker handled 10 per cent of the workload and I handled 90 per cent. Another employer brought up French-speaking employees from the Montreal and Quebec City area and gave them housing and high salaries. Some of these employees were blatant racists and openly made comments to this effect and refused to treat their Inuit co-workers with equal respect. Racist comments, the withholding of mail and faxes, whispering and gossiping about us, was acceptable behaviour to the directors. The director-general even came after me once on my personal grocery shopping time to explain myself because a young auditor ran out of the office crying after I finished work at 5 p.m.. The director of finance of this organization even brought up an immediate family member from the South to work for her. In my view this represents direct financial gain to immediate family using Quebec government contributions. Another employer gave me a warning letter for not showing up or calling work when I was at work and was sick with a doctor's note the next day. The wife of one of the board members did not show up or call work for three days, but she did not receive the same warning letter. Neither did any other employees, some of whom worked only two or three days a week without calling in. This was at a daycare centre where it was acceptable to the board for the child care workers to abuse and neglect children, since they were never reprimanded or dismissed for their behaviour. In other rural areas of Canada, are employers allowed to get away with these things? Is it only in the community of Kuujjuaq where employers have a free hand to do what they want? In a small community where the same people are elected to various boards of organizations, where do we go to appeal their decisions? In a community where Inuit unemployment is higher than average and many children live below the poverty line, it never ceases to amaze me what employers can get away with in Kuujjuaq. Susan Ruston Inuit vagrants in Montreal a disheartening sight I think a lot of big cities in Canada have their so-called "drunken natives" on the street. In Montreal, the natives living on the street seem to be mostly Inuit. And almost all of these Inuit appear to be from Nunavik. Other terms used for these people are "vagrants" or "beggars." I have seen that these homeless or semi-homeless Inuit have already gained a grim reputation among other Montreal residents, especially among those who normally frequent the downtown area. The general routine of these Inuit is that they position themselves on the sidewalk, especially during times when there are lot of people walking by. They hold out containers such as a disposable cup, a baseball cap, or their bare hand to indicate that they want passersby to give them money. The purpose for this activity is often to collect enough funds to purchase personal supplies such as tobacco, narcotics or alcohol. Often it appears that these individuals are under the influence of mind-altering substances, and sometimes they even appear to be out of control. I can recall the first time I saw an Inuk vagrant on the sidewalks of Montreal, about 13 or 14 years ago. It was a disheartening sight, and certainly unexpected. A few years after that, I was in the home community of that particular man during a community feast. Lo and behold: that same man was the chief organizer of these festivities and making a huge effort to bring happiness to everybody. It was such an inspiring experience to see that man being of such service, compared with how I'd seen him a few short years earlier. If there were other Inuit still begging on the streets of Montreal back then, I certainly never saw them around. The scene of today's Inuit vagrants in Montreal is different. In fact, it might have already escalated into a serious situation. The personal stories I have heard through casual conversation with these Inuit are usually melancholy and without much hope. I think it is a topic that needs to be talked about, especially by the people who live in Nunavik. Bob Mesher August 16, 2002 Thieves disrupt Iqaluit campsites I am a long-time resident of Iqaluit. I have been camping every summer for five years in the same area, and I never used to have any problems. Someone has been stealing, breaking camping gear, stealing food and destroying
the campsite. I have a question for you thieves. Do you feel good when you steal and invade other people's privacy? Do you feel like you have power over everyone around you when you're destroying other people's belongings? What do you get out of this? Why do you do that to people who don't bother you? When you steal and break other people's belonging, do you make money? Are you too disabled to work? I don't think you are disabled, because you can go around and break-in and steal. I can go on, but I think you will hopefully feel a little ashamed of yourselves when you read this. That's if you can steal a newspaper to read. Anyway, I have been looking for my two fishing rods since a few weeks ago, when the thieves stole them, so if you have any information, or someone tried to sell you a fishing rod, please contact me at (867) 975-5819 or, after 5:00 p.m., at (867) 979-1504. I will give a reward to the person who gives me information, or has an idea
of who stole my fishing rods. I will also make sure that whoever gives me information,
I will not give out your name. Pauline Alainga August 16, 2002 Bravo to Premier Paul Okalik From down here in hot, polluted Toronto, I say bravo to Premier Paul Okalik. How utterly refreshing to see a leader in this country have principles and, more to the point, stand up for them. I am envious of his constituents; they have a leader they can believe in. Down here, we have bloated talking heads who spout the same greedy corporate agenda ad nauseam, while destroying our lives and our environment for the want of a dollar. Françoise Vulpé August 16, 2002 Searching for Kitty Nowdlak I am looking for any news about Kitty Nowdluk-Reynolds. Her son and I have not seen or heard from her in about nine years. The family lives in Happy Valley in Iqaluit, the last house on the right as you go into the dead-end road. Could somebody please try and get some info about her for me? Robert Callaghan August 16, 2002 Arctic Bay youth need community gym I would like to express my concern about the attitude of the hamlet of Arctic Bay toward its young people. I am an avid athlete in traditional games such as Arctic sports, which are good for the body, mind and soul. A fellow athlete and I, along with other potential athletes, play this challenging sport regularly, but there is one problem. There is just no support for athletes like us in the Hamlet of Arctic Bay. Although the community gymnasium was built for the young people of Arctic Bay, we, the athletes who try to make changes within ourselves have fallen short this year because of "materialistic" office workers. Every year we use the gym to practice our traditional art for free. But this year we have to rent the gymnasium from the hamlet in order to play traditional games. The community gymnasium is our only way to solve local problems, at least some
of the problems. It may mean little to the hamlet but it means a huge chunk to us young people. In addition, I hope this letter enables other young people to express their feelings about big issues that others think that are small. Taima, and thank you. Rene Tautu August 16, 2002 My memories of Nanisivik We first moved to Nanisivik when I was 12 years old. I was a young Inuk girl
who had never spoken English. It was to be the first time I had ever lived in
a dominant English-speaking cultural environment. However, there were benefits of living in Nanisivik. As I had no other job experience previously, Nanisivik showed me what was necessary in terms of self-discipline and acquiring a good work ethic. We all gain the knowledge that life is not always a simple task and that you have to put in an honest effort to accomplish whatever needs to be done. I knew that I would never really learn to live like southern people nor would I fully live a complete northern or traditional lifestyle, but I did learn to adapt to my surroundings and take different things from both worlds. Nanisivik brought employment opportunities and was a place to call home. My grandfather, his sons and other relatives have been there since before the catering services and the geological crews. I'm sure that if my grandfather and my parents were alive today, they'd say the mine was meant to close eventually. I'm sure they would express gratitude that they at least were given a chance to have a job for a while. I'd like to thank Strathcona Mineral Services for honoring the memory of my
late father, Simeonie Allurut, by naming a school after him. Simeonie Allurut
died on Sept. 29, 1986, in Nanisivik. Thank you for all that Nanisivik has done for our family. Aseena Allurut August 16, 2002 Movie magic in the Arctic What a pleasure it was to read about Michael Murphy's new movie theatre in Pangnirtung in the July 26, 2002, edition of Nunatsiaq News, "Let the Show Begin." I was a regular at the Mission Hall in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the 1970s, where movies were shown for the local kids. Hordes of us would trek down the hill to watch whatever movie was available. It didn't matter if the plane hadn't come in that day with a fresh movie, we'd pay to see the same one four or five times if it was offered. Admission was 50¢, and we'd pool our quarters to make sure our friends got in. A dollar made you rich because you could buy a bag of chips and a can of pop while the film reels were changed. Movie showings for adults were on Fridays and Saturdays (I think). Admission was more expensive, and no kids were allowed unless under strict parent supervision. Which was fine, since most of us had to babysit younger siblings while our parents went. We never cared that the movies were ancient productions compared to what Hollywood offered down south. Given the absence of television, VCRs and movie previews, we didn't know the movies were old. While Star Wars splashed across the southern screens, we were dazzled by The Planet of the Apes series in Puvirnituq. We watched John Wayne and Elvis, and the Three Stooges. It was a whole new world in which to immerse ourselves. We'd troop out of the hall hours later all squinty-eyed, singing and shouting the latest theme at the top of our lungs. Movies at the mission ceased in the very early 1980s when television arrived in the community and people lost interest in the Mission movies. The Mission no longer exists, and I'm sad because it played such an important role in my young life. We forced and punched our way into the hall, fighting over the metal chairs because there weren't enough to go around. We yelled at the screen, cheered for the good guys and booed the bad. When we got too rowdy, the people running the movies used to put the cap on the projector until we settled down. Boys practised their Kung Fu moves during recess and named their puppies Cornelius, after one of the apes. To the average adult, it must sound like an ad for Tylenol headache relief, but we loved it. It was something to do, something sheltered and structured for kids. We were supervised, although God knows, I pity the people who had to supervise us. Decades later while living in Iqaluit, my young niece and I started a movie matinee tradition when Bryan Pearson opened his theatre. The Astro Hill Theatre is positively opulent compared to what I grew up with, but I was pleased to see the same type of little-kid society forming during the shows. I didn't begrudge my niece's request to see My Dog Skip three times, because I remembered the pleasure of repetition and the importance of just being there. I must admit the new generation is much quieter than we ever were in Puvirnituq. I was a regular at Pearson's theatre from the time it opened until the time I moved to Ottawa. Now Murphy is starting the trend in Pangnirtung. Hopefully with the waning of the initial fascination with television, more initiatives such as his will start cropping up in other communities. Way to go, bravo, and if I'm ever in Pangnirtung again, I'll be sure to stop by and take in the latest on the silver screen. Sydney Sackett Kakivak policies aren’t stifling "the dream of Nunavut" I sympathize with Mosha Folger, whose application for funding was turned down recently by the Kakivak Association. Mosha was seeking funding incremental to the FANS funding he will receive, to take a creative writing program in British Columbia. I also commend his initiative in writing a letter to your paper ("Kakivak funding policies too narrow" Aug. 2, 2002), which highlights some of the difficult choices Kakivak has to make with its training and employment dollars. I cannot agree with Mosha’s assertion that the dream of Nunavut is being stifled by Kakivak’s policy choices in training and employment. Over the past year, Kakivak supported over 450 Baffin Inuit in training, and sponsored 72 training programs. Kakivak also provided 128 grants and 25 business loans to Baffin Inuit. Youth programs provided training and work to over 240 young people in the Baffin region. Although Kakivak’s funding agreement with the federal government for employment and training programs is fairly flexible, it is oriented to applications that clearly lead to the labour market, rather than general education or cultural programs. This was a business decision that the board did not take lightly. Kakivak has developed some very sound working relationships with the Government of Nunavut’s education department, Nunavut Arctic College, and the regional HRDC office to do everything we can to make sure that anyone who applies for funding has the best chance to get some or all of what they request. I respect Mosha’s efforts to further his education, and welcome any questions Inuit in the Baffin region might have about Kakivak services. Larry Audlaluk August 23, 2002
You will always be my dad Even though I never knew
you Tanya Nowdlak-Gladue University education provides more than job training I wish to clarify a couple of things Larry Audlaluk, chair of the Kakivak Association, stated in his letter ("Kakivak policies aren't stifling 'the dream of Nunavut,'" Aug. 23). The funding I applied for was not the entire amount FANS had offered me. I would not have been receiving the full funding provided by FANS if Kakivak had accepted my application. Also, I am not "tak[ing] a creative writing program in British Columbia" as Audlaluk misleadingly stated. I am attending university, where I am required to complete a myriad of courses, among them mandatory English courses and others that have no connection to creative writing. I am just planning to major in creative writing. I will not question Audlaluk's understanding of university education, except to say that I cannot graduate by taking only writing courses. I have to complete a minor, and a majority of the courses I will need to complete my degree will in fact not be writing courses. I would like to point out that, although the funds and programs Audlaluk listed in his letter provided training and/or "immediate" employment for the people who completed them, most people in those jobs (I cannot give you statistics, I'm just speaking from personal experience) will not move much further than supervising others. How will Nunavummiut (specifically, Qikiqtaalmmiut in Kakivak's case) ever accomplish the "lofty goals" of leading the territory if Kakivak maintains a policy that provides employment - but very little or no room for advancement? As our current legislature showed with their choice of Paul Okalik over Jack Anawak as premier, university education played a significant role in choosing who would lead the territory. Even though Anawak has years of experience as not only a territorial MLA, but also a federal MP, members chose the rookie Okalik. As important as it is to have people who can translate English into Inuktitut or supervise visitors to a Youth Centre, it is of greater importance to have Inuit who are educated in such a way as to be able to adapt their knowledge to varying situations that arise in daily work, government and otherwise. I am not trying to undermine Kakivak's role in providing valuable expendable income to Inuit of the Qikiqtaaluk region, I am just attempting to point out that if we do not convince our children and youth that university education is a necessary attribute of a leader, and instead show them that they can have a well-paid job after attending a six-month course, we are stifling the dream of having a representative percentage of Inuit running the territory, from the top level down. I applaud every person who completed Kakivak-funded training for taking the initiative to further their careers, but I would ask them to ponder whether they would have a greater choice of possible occupations if they had the ability (including adequate funds) to attend university. When I complete my degree in creative writing, I will look for work in that field. If I cannot find work, I'll look for work in my intended minor, anthropology. And if that doesn't work out, I will have completed many courses in varying subjects which would allow me to look for work in those other fields. Not to mention the overall educational advancement I will receive from the university experience that would allow me to move up the ladder in any field in which I should find work. These are options not available to someone who completes a job-specific training course. Mosha Folger August 30, 2002 The solution is in technology, not common orthography I read with interest in your Aug 23 editorial that the Inuit Circumpolar Conference language commission still believes that a common writing system for Inuktitut is the only solution for pan-Arctic communication. With modern computer technology this should be a dead issue by now, as computers are capable of converting between orthographies and even dialects. So why does the common orthography debate keep resurfacing? Simply, it is a prejudice based on the contortions we go through to use syllabics on computers. It is an example of how technology makes us throw up our arms in frustration to the point we give up. As the developer of the AiPaiNunavik font and a graphic designer with more than 10 years experience setting type in syllabics, I am acutely aware of the problems of the writing system. But there are just as many problems with Roman or Cyrillic orthography, especially if you want to sort or do any kind of manipulation to text that actually makes sense in Inuktitut. But this is really not about the relative merits of two different writing systems. My work has led me to believe that we have decided to let the dogs drive the sled when it comes to using syllabics on computers, and it does not have to be so. Currently there is a movement to make syllabics more relevant to the Inuktitut language, and this began with the return of the "ai-pai-tai" column (which was erroneously attributed to Avataq Cultural Institute in your editorial). The AiPaiNunavik font project was initiated by elders and overseen by a committee of the major organizations in Nunavik. The new syllabic system more accurately represents the syllabic ordering of Inuktitut, and is in wide use in the region. Many projects are under development based on this technology, including the AiPai Typing Tutor software by the Kativik School Board. We must never forget that it was the limitations of technology that caused the ai-pai-tai column to be dropped - there was not enough room on the IBM Selectric golf ball. The next stage of the project will see the development of standards for the Inuktitut language, not just the syllabic writing system. Among the standards will be rules for text manipulation and the transcoding of writing systems and dialects. We also intend to actually follow through with the technology to make it suitable for everyday use. This makes far more sense than trying to adopt a common orthography. What it comes down to is making communication technology work to the advantage of Inuit culture, and not the other way around if a common orthography is adopted. This is simply taking control of the reins, because if we don't, we may not like where the dogs decide to take us. Ray Taylor August 30, 2002 Sanikiluaq cookbook available through the U of A In response to the article "Taste of the Town" (Aug. 23), please note the cookbook was produced in collaboration with the Canadian Circumpolar Institute not the Canadian Circumpolar Conference. Copies may be purchased from Canadian Circumpolar Institute (CCI) Press for $30. CCI Press can be reached at the University of Alberta, Suite 308, 8625-112 St. (Campus Tower), Edmonton, Alberta T6G 0H0. Phone (780) 492-4512, fax (780) 492-1153 or e-mail cindy.mason@ualberta.ca. The cookbook will be distributed to households in Sanikiluaq in conjunction with launch of the 2002-03 Prenatal Nutrition Program in October after which time they may also be for sale through the hamlet office. Miriam Fleming August 30, 2002 Taxi drivers aren't charities I was appalled to see Iqaluit Mayor John Matthews and five taxi drivers asking for donations because these guys lost all their belongings in a fire. Are the mayor and these drivers taking us for fools? Many taxi drivers are drinking at the Legion and K-inn every night and day. Some taxi drivers are drug dealers and bootleggers and fool around with young women while they are under the influence. I know this because I'm there too at the Legion and K-inn on Sundays. Just ask the RCMP. They know. They have files and complaints of drugs and booze being sold in town. It's easy for drivers to get drunk, have sex, then call the RCMP to kick them out of their staff house. Anyway, we all know Mr. Mayor that when a taxi driver can't work because of a criminal record, he works for the city as a truck driver. Ask yourselves this question: How many ex-taxi drivers are working for the city? If taxi drivers need a criminal record search, then city employees should also be subject to a criminal record search. If not, then the city should be considered accomplices of these criminals. And, last of all, when is the city going to mandate drug testing for all public
works vehicle operators as well as taxi drivers? For the community, please don't be fools and encourage this manner. Mr. Mayor, you should be more intelligent than anybody and an immediate apology should be given to your community. And the bank account should be closed and any money returned or put to a more needy cause. I know that if a bank goes ahead with this savings account, then we as good citizens should boycott that bank and close our accounts. I've been using taxis for eight years and there are many good cab drivers in town. As for the mayor and his administrators, it's unfortunate to see so much lack of interest in getting priorities straight. Let me tell you I hope the citizens will make sure to eliminate this city council next election. And I hope we will have quality people to run this city once and for all. Name withheld August 30, 2002
Putting names to faces I can identify three people in the photos. In the top photo, top row is Peter Tatty of Rankin Inlet, in the bottom row is Celestino, I forget his name just now. The other is Bernard Putulik of Chesterfield Inlet. I was a student at Churchill Vocational Centre in l964-65. I have the yearbooks,
so I might be able to identify more people. Peter Irniq August 30, 2002 Thanks for helping me attend university It's always great to start a fresh year of school at the end of summer. I would like to thank Kakivak Association for providing financial assistance to me throughout the past year. And especially Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS) - it would have been impossible for me to go to Peterborough and attend Trent University for one year without their help. I also would like to thank my relatives in Hall Beach and Arctic Bay and Ron Elliott for visiting when ever he can. Thank you so much. All the students out there, keep up the good work. Robby Qammaniq August 30, 2002 Thank you for your support It is difficult to find the words to relay my profound thanks to all the friends, family and acquaintances who were so loving, supportive and generous during the recent tragic loss of my son Aloupa Watt. The support and love from everyone, including the Inuit from the Circumpolar world was overwhelming. On behalf of the Grey, Watt and Knox-Leet families, I thank each and every one of you. Especially Maggie Tooma Kullula, who was there for Al when he needed someone the most. Although Al is gone from us physically, we will always remember his laughter and beautiful big smile. Minnie Grey
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