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Back to February, 2003 Archive Index
Letters to the Editor February 7, 2003 - 5 letters Thanks from Minnie Abraham I would like to pass this information on to the whole of Nunavik. I am departing from my duties as KRG environmental technician in the renewable resources department. My last working day was Feb. 6. For those of you in Nunavik who are concerned about water quality control or any other environmental issue, please refer your questions to Sandy Gordon, KRG director of renewable resources, at 1-819-964-2961, extension 2277, or his assistant director, Michael Barrett, at extension 2271. In case of a serious accident, such as petroleum product spills, you may call your local fire department or our environmental hotline at 1-866-694-5454, or you may even call our consultant, Jacques Dion, at 1-514-940-1230 or 1-514-910-2928, or the emergency response hotline at 1-613-966-6666, where collect calls are accepted from anywhere in Canada. Make sure that you inform someone from KRG’s renewable resources department, since we do a follow-up to make sure that all spills are taken care of. We take spills as serious matters that could put our health in danger. I would like to thank all Nunavimmiut municipalities. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have completed my field work. It was a good challenge, and I have enjoyed meeting new people, but when it comes to travelling, I used to get very tired and I missed my two little ones. But they have both grown — one became a shadow teacher for the handicapped, and one went to college to get a better education. I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful services on behalf of my colleagues. Minnie Abraham February 7, 2003 Taxi companies provide lousy service to Apex I am writing because I live in Apex and I always have to wait for cabs every morning, and I always end up waiting for more than half an hour. I noticed that Apex is just a volunteer call. I thought that, a few years ago, they were going to better their service. I think it has gotten worse! Also, when I am in town, I call a cab, and then the cab comes and I tell them I am going to Apex and they say, "Ah, did you tell the dispatcher that you are going to Apex?" I say, "No" and then he tells me the next time you call a cab, tell them you are going to Apex. Then they drive to Apex, too fast, and complaining about it. One Saturday night, I was trying to take a cab and I told the driver that I was going to Apex. There were two other people in the cab, who were both going to the old residence and he told us that he was not going to take three of us and that one of us would have to get off, so I got off! I went into another cab and the driver told me that it was a busy hour and that he was not going to Apex, so I got out again. Luckily there was someone in a Skidoo who gave me a ride. Wendy Kootoo-Kovic February 7, 2003 Has Canada’s Constitution grown enough to include Inuktitut? At midnight between March 31 and April 1, 1999, the linguistic map of Canada changed. At the stroke of the clock, Canada suddenly had a jurisdiction where the majority of its people spoke neither English nor French. In the 2001 Nunavut Household Survey, three-quarters of Nunavut’s population identified Inuktitut/Inuinnaqtun as the first language learned at home. The drafters of the Canadian Constitution and the federal Official Languages Act never envisioned a situation where an entire jurisdiction would use a language other than those of the "two founding peoples." The federal government offers provincial and territorial governments funding to ensure that the minority language (i.e., English in Quebec and French outside of Quebec) is not swamped by the majority language. The principle that Canada is, at the federal level, bilingual, is one of the most important pillars of Canadian federalism. And that is as it should be. But where does that leave Nunavut? Its legislature debates in Inuktitut. Most of its schools are moving toward teaching in Inuktitut. And by 2020, its government is expected to be using Inuktitut as its working language. Despite this, Nunavut’s linguistic reality is not recognized by the Canadian Constitution, whose drafters could not imagine that someday Canada would have a territory where most of the population would speak a language that is neither English nor French. Canadian common law (i.e., law made by judges in their decisions) recognizes that legislation cannot foresee all future circumstances. As a result, the Supreme Court of Canada itself has ruled that the Constitution of Canada is like a "living tree" — it grows with, and adapts to, changes in society by allowing for progressive interpretation. This allows the Constitution to continue to reflect society’s values and priorities without the necessity of having to amend it on a regular basis. If Inuktitut is to buck the ongoing trend of Aboriginal languages and survive to become a thriving, relevant language, the Government of Canada will need to recognize that the Constitution has grown a new branch. Indeed, Inuktitut offers Canada one of the best opportunities to show the world that it takes seriously its commitment to protect Canada’s aboriginal languages. It is also an opportunity to show that it takes pride in supporting the social and cultural development of the majority in Nunavut, while at the same time protecting the rights of the territory’s official language minorities. Anthony Saez February 7, 2003 Don’t be shy to call ITK In response to the letter, "Are ITK and CBC killing the Inuit language?" (Jan. 17), I would like thank Appitaq Enuaraq for bringing to our attention the fact that some of the ITK country food posters were being displayed in Pond Inlet. On behalf of ITK, I would like to apologize to Appitaq and others for the spelling errors. We were immediately aware of the mistakes on the first print-run. These have been corrected. Due to the errors on the Inuktitut side of the poster, a formal northern and southern mail-out of these posters did not take place. It appears that some posters from the first print-run have made their way to the Arctic. We would like to assure readers that corrected versions of the country foods posters have been printed, and mail-outs of these beautiful posters to Inuit communities are scheduled to begin in February. Readers who would like to receive a set of four posters may contact ITK’s environment department toll-free at 1-866-262-8181. Don’t be shy to call us — it may save you a letter to the editor. Jose A Kusugak February 7, 2003 Goodbye to my little brother I have to let you go, my little brother. I finally know why you did what you did. I so much wish that you could have held on a little bit longer. But I understand now, and I love you so much. I’m sure that at that time, when all this pain was in the open, it was a release for you and that is when you decided to go. I hope that you found your peace at that time. It all explains why you were the way you were. I admire you so much in your last years for making your decision to heal in your own way. Looking back on the changes you made are what keeps me from dwelling on having lost you forever. I don’t want to live on regrets anymore. Up until yesterday, I tortured myself for not having done more for you. Now I realize that it was your battle. As of now, I will be grateful for having been given the privilege to be chosen as your big sister. You will always be my favourite sibling, and my younger brother. I so remember the day you were born. Boy, were you ever tiny. It was so beautiful outside. It’s beautiful memories like that that keep me connected to you. You may have been younger, but later in our lives I looked up to you for adult advice. You have been through too much in your too-short life. It seems as if you knew that your life was short. There were times when you would say that you miss our mom. I truly hope that you are spending time in her arms. Don’t forget that I will join you too some day, so please leave room for me. My dear beloved baby brother Kai Kumu, I want to tell you to rest in peace, but I won’t, because you were chained for too long while you were with us. You were at last free. So I hope that you are soaring the skies. Remember, in the skies there are no limits, go as fast as your wings will carry out. Go as high as you need to go. Be free. Don’t even look back and we will join you when our time is up. Now I can release you to your freedom. Loving always, your big sister. Kumaarjuk Pii Inuit sexual predators must stop their abuse It is well-known that Inuit men are big-time sexual predators. For many hundreds of years, you have preyed upon your little girls and women. In many cases, you have raped your own daughters at a very young age. You have even raped babies and elderly women. I am one of these Inuit women that have been abused over and over and over. It all started when I was a little kid, not old enough to understand what was going on. I have been raped by my stepfather, my biological grandfather, one of my biological brothers, two of my step-brothers and my uncle on my mother’s side for many years. I tried telling people about the pain, but no one would listen to what I was telling them about what was happening to me. Once, when one of my aunts believed me, she told me to say nothing, because the person who raped me was highly respected in the community. Today, I am very damaged by all the abuse that Inuit men close to me have caused me. I am able now to speak to other Inuit women who have been into the same kind of abuse. It appears to me that to be invaded by these predators was silently accepted. I am finding out that many, many Inuit women were in this same situation, even in my mother’s and father’s time, and I know that it has been happening a lot longer. Alcohol and drugs have intensified these abuses in more recent times. I know that these abuses are still happening in our communities today. I recently found out that her own uncle, my own adopted brother, raped my own daughter. I want this abuse to stop. You have caused us women too much pain. I encourage other women to bring their story out into the open for all to see the truth of our lives. Anonymous February 14, 2003 Applause for northern premiers I just wanted to applaud the northern premiers for taking a united stand against signing the new health agreement that the government of Canada, the provinces, and the territories were asked to sign on Feb. 5. I especially would like to single out our premier, Paul Okalik, for taking an eloquent stand on our behalf, saying that we in Nunavut are special and that our issues are different and that we must be treated differently than people down South. We have been telling the government of Canada since the mid-1970s that our needs and wants cannot be met by per capita funding formulas, because of the small population, our isolated situation, and most of all, vast territory, where we have to fly in order to visit other communities. Down South, you can get into your car and in a matter of an hour you can be in a specialized hospital, where you can be attended to by a specialist to look after your needs, as compared to setting up an appointment a month or two in advance for a Nunavummiut to make and visit a specialist either in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa or Montreal. In most cases, the illness has worsened and you’re required to spend months and even years to cure you, when you could have been looked after more quickly if you were just a couple of hour’s drive from a hospital. I also agree that the premiers did not turn their backs on the new money for the health program, but to not sign the agreement to make improvements in the overall health issues in the North, in areas such as: regional hospitals, more doctors, nurses, new housing, education, better living, and so on, for the future benefit of all Nunavummiut. For that stand, I take off my hat to Premiers Okalik, Kakfwi and Fentie for looking at the long-term implication of health issues in the North. Allen Maghagak February 14, 2003 Inuit father not "domineering" I have just read Patricia D’Souza’s report of an interview she did with me in November about my life and work with the Utkukiksalingmiut of Chantry Inlet and Gjoa Haven ("The book of Gjoa," Nov. 22). The report is well-written, and I was interested in some of the interpretations and elaborations that Ms. D’Souza made of what I said. However, I would like to correct two mistakes that she made and apologize for one that I made. Her first mistake was to call my adopted father Kigeak a "domineering man." Kigeak was not a domineering man, and I never thought or said that he was. He did sometimes tell me to make tea, but that was his right as an Inuit father. And if I didn’t always like being told what to do, that was because I wasn’t used to it, and also because his requests sometimes interrupted other work that I was doing, which I thought was important. Very occasionally we had other disagreements too, but that was because I didn’t understand Inuit ways and he didn’t understand qallunaat ways. And again, he had a perfect right as a father to behave as he did and to refuse requests that he thought were silly. Ms. D’Souza also misunderstood what I said about the name of one of the children in my family. I was trying to explain why personal names are important to Inuit — more important than they are to qallunaat — and I talked about that child as an example. What I was trying to tell her was that Priscilla and her grandfather behaved the same way in some respects because they had the same name. I am very sorry now that I talked about Priscilla by name because it might embarrass both Priscilla and other members of my family. That was my mistake. I was careless and I apologize. Jean L. Briggs Editor’s note: Jean Briggs wrote in great detail about Kigeak’s warmth in her book Never in Anger — and also his "haughty and harsh" demeanour. "The predominant impression was of a harsh, vigorous, dominant man, highly self-dramatizing; a personality set off almost as sharply as that of a kapluna against the backdrop of his self-effacing fellows," she wrote. In describing her characterization of him — and his granddaughter’s similarity to him — we meant no disrespect to either Briggs, Kigeak or Priscilla. February 14, 2003 Scottish Brownies looking for Girl Scouts in Nunavut I am a Brownie Guide leader on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands. We are doing a project on Inuit culture and we would like to know if you can put us in touch with someone who could give us ideas about Inuit children’s crafts, songs, poems and traditional games. Is there a Girl Scout unit in your area that would like to contact us? Mayanne MacGregor February 14, 2003 Searching for relatives of Herodier in Resolute Bay I am writing from Whapmagoostui (Great Whale River), Quebec, and I am interested in finding family from up north on Baffin Island. My grandfather had a brother called "Herodier" in Resolute Bay and I met him once. He looks like my grandfather in 1980. I am interested in having some kind of contact with his descendants and I heard that the names Kalluk or Sipporah may have a connection with my grand-uncle. I hope that someone may have some information to e-mail me with. Sidney Snowboy Orr February 14, 2003 Dedicated and caring people at Baffin hospital I recently found myself in a position that perhaps most of us dread. I had to go to the Baffin Regional Hospital on an emergency basis. I must say, however, that the staff made the experience much more pleasant because of their professionalism and just plain old down-to-earth caring. When I was kept overnight, the night shift nurse, Michelle, made my stay as comforting as possible. She was very compassionate and understanding. Dr. Vipond, should also be mentioned. Even though he was very busy, he took the time to explain the situation and to ensure that I understood. I noticed the same care and concern as they were dealing with other patients there that evening. Due to the pressures on the health-care system and staff, I think it is important to recognize the contribution that dedicated and caring people bring to it. Phil Bourdeau February 14, 2003 I stand behind our premier I stand by our premier on our relationship with the federal government. The negligence and ignorance of our federal government concerning the northern health-care system has been going on too long. Our prime minister is well within his abilities to increase the quality of our health care. When the quality of health care in the southern provinces is compared to the health care of the three territories (especially Nunavut) it is disconcerting. Per capita, it’s not even close. And hopefully a more reasonable offer can be provided by the federal government. If not, I hope that you are prepared to take a leave from your daily duties to get the care you deserve elsewhere. I know I am. Jason Currie February 14, 2003 Looking for copy of Kikkik video I live in New Jersey. In the past couple of years, I have read many books about the plight of Inuit since first contact with the Kabloona. I am disgusted and depressed to learn what the white people did to the Inuit. It is nothing less than cultural genocide. I am so happy to have learned that the Inuit finally, and once again, have control over their own fate in the form of Nunavut. I just wish the white man had never stepped foot in the Arctic. Anyway, I saw the review of Kikkik in Nunatsiaq News online. I’d love to purchase a copy of the video. Would you be able to tell me where I could purchase it? Qujannamiik! Michele Biasucci Thanks from the Iqaluit Gymnastics Club It has been almost two years since the Iqaluit Gymnastics Club has been up and running. The club has gone from having just a few interested kids to having over 100 children at present taking part in our program. We owe a great deal of thanks to the City of Iqaluit’s recreation department, which has helped us keep track of our finances, provided us with moral support and encouraged our growth. The coaches would like to thank all of the parents who have entrusted their children to our program. It has been a formidable two years of learning about coaching, and how to run a program. We hope to continue to be as successful in the future. We owe another debt of gratitude to Sport Nunavut, which has financed our training as coaches, and to Kyle Seeley in particular who continues to listen to the dreams and aspirations of our club. Our expansion would not have been possible without the financial support of the City of Iqaluit, the dedication of our coaches and the participation of our gymnasts. Finally, we would not have been able to expand our equipment without tremendous support from the Iqaluit Legion and Spieth Anderson. Thank you to the Legion for generously contributing to our purchase of a spring floor. And to Spieth Anderson for patiently awaiting our continuing payments. When we work together as a community, we can achieve wonderful things for our children. Carolyn Mallory February 21, 2003 Health or habit? I was shocked when I heard the result of the vote by Iqaluit city council during second reading of the no-smoking bylaw. Just how much "homework" does council need to do before they are prepared to protect the health of children? Do adults enjoy their cigarette and coffee so much that they refuse to protect the health of the children? Which is more important — health or habit? These reasons — or excuses — expressed by certain council members do not hold water. Our number one priority should be the health of children — not the promotion or maintenance of unhealthy habits. I applaud the Caribrew Café for taking a stand against smoking in public places without having to be pressured by a bylaw. Did sales suffer from it? Of course not. Many people have accepted that smoking is no longer permitted in workplaces, stores, hospitals, airports, and many other public places. Many people do not even smoke in their own homes, so that the health of their children is not compromised. So why does our city council seem to think that people need "more time to adjust" to the idea of not having cigarettes with their coffee? If most major cities across Canada and the United States can impose a no-smoking bylaw on public establishments without the fear of lost revenue or public demonstrations, then tell me what is wrong with the city council of Iqaluit. Let’s get serious about protecting the future and the health of the next generation. All council members should have enough backbone and the conviction to stand up and do what is right — vote for no-smoking in public places. Theresa Rodrigue February 21, 2003 For CLEY, size doesn’t matter I must take issue with your assertion that "with an annual budget of about $9 million, CLEY is considered to be the least prestigious portfolio" (Feb. 14). Budget allocation is not and should not be considered the only gauge of respectability. The issues that the department of culture, language, elders and youth deals with are the very reason Inuit and Nunavummiut sought the establishment of their own territory. They clearly expressed the desire to have a government that respects and reflects the population it serves. It is its mission to preserve and protect Inuit culture and language that should make CLEY the flagship department in Nunavut. Over the past few months, staff at CLEY have worked hard to develop the tools the department needs to fulfill its mandate. Although small, the department now has a dedicated group of people working hard to accomplish goals that will make Nunavut different. CLEY’s contribution to Nunavut is the upholding of Inuit values and the protection of Inuit culture, heritage and language. The pursuit of these goals is what will make Nunavut unique in Canada and a symbol of this country’s respect for diversity. Prestige is not measured in dollars, but in the goals the department seeks to attain and in the dedication of its employees. By this standard, the department of culture, language, elders and youth is both unique and extremely important to the future of Nunavut. Anthony Saez February 21, 2003 Everyone in Nunavut should lobby for better health care Iqaluit is my home and I am proud of it. I would like to commend city council for going ahead with the ban of smoking in the public places. I would also like to say thank you to Dr. Anna Banerji, who is working to better children’s lives in the Baffin area — I hope it works so it can be used to study the other two regions in Nunavut. Keep up the great work, Anna, and I also would like to thank those kids participating in this very important respiratory project. Thank you for thinking about your health. It would be nice for all the community members who deal with health and social issues to lobby the Nunavut government’s health and social services department, as well as the Nunavut Housing Corporation, to show the need for more funds from the federal government and that the people of the North really do need the funds to get healthy and to stay healthy. It would also be nice to hear from community members, whether they be from Iqaluit or Pangnirtung, Arviat, Cape Dorset or Igloolik, for that matter all the communities of Nunavut, to tell Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s health and social department that the federal government should listen to the Inuit when we tell them that we need more funds to carry out proper, adequate and up to standard health services. Ed Picco, you are doing good, but you can do better with the power of all the Inuit and the public in Nunavut. Cathy Towtongie, if you can do a public press release on the true health and housing status of the Inuit of Nunavut, maybe then the federal government would listen to you. All of you, federal, territorial and Inuit organizations, should work together for the betterment of the Inuit in the settlement area. In closing, I would like to thank all those people who think about the Inuit in the southern urban settings, northern people helping us in keeping some part of our tradition alive by sending us traditional food, we appreciate traditional food at any time of the year. A great big thank you. Name withheld by request February 21, 2003 Simon Iyyiraq: a strong, loving father Simon, first I want to say, I love you for who you were, a caring, kind father to our kids. We learned to love each other as we experienced awful tragedies in our lives. Strangely, we learned to survive, as any other couples do who have problems in their lives. As you often said, life is too short to waste. But we learn as we experience the hardships in our lives. I wanted to remember you in positive ways and I will, for we had talked and forgiven each other at the last of our days together. I’m very proud to say to our friends that we have forgiven our church, for we know the church itself is good, but human errors often destroy our faith’s sacred beliefs. You have taught us that we, the owners of these problems, need to see ourselves first. Once again, thank you Simon for accepting me back, even though I couldn’t control my anger too well once in a while. But the greatest gift you’ve given me was to accept and love myself, for I had time to think things over not too long ago. I know why you wanted to leave me for a while. I’m glad it happened too, for I am no longer angry at you or the world. Residential school in Chesterfield was indeed a big lesson for us survivors. It taught us to lose our faith in God for most of us, especially you and me Simon. And we both know that poor communications surely destroy our lives. We had forgotten to seek help from the caring professionals, and for this we need to have more say in Nunavut concerning our health. Simon, you often wanted to be with your kids Alex and Barbara soon. Your wish was finally granted by our Saviour. And we, your loving wife and kids, accept your wish and we know you’ll be in a peaceful place with them now. I certainly was lucky to have you as a caring, smart husband. For you certainly had a big caring heart, and for this, our living children will be all right. The greatest gift you have given me was to love and accept myself, so that when someone asks for forgiveness, I’ll gladly grant it. For God never abandons his children of this world, in their most difficult times. We gladly gave you to rest and we know that Alex and Barbara are welcoming you. Simon, be at peace with yourself now, for you taught me to find out who I was. Forgiveness surely is the best medication in life. Simon, I love you and the kids love you and will always remember you as a strong, healthy, loving father to us. As always, your loving wife, your Sarpinaq. Celine Iyyiraq February 21, 2003 One man’s conspiracy theory The story of events leading up to Jack Anawak losing his portfolio. Once upon a time: 1. MLAs want to get rid of a senior female bureaucrat. 2. The MLA for Baker Lake quashes this for the premier, but wants a pound of flesh for it. 3. Premier makes promise of jobs for this favour. 4. The PPD is not in the decentralization plan, but becomes that favour. 5. The Hamlet of Rankin Inlet and their MLA, Manitok Thompson, speak out against this. 6. Premier wants to take portfolio from Thompson. 7. Regular MLAs come to her defence. 8. Premier backs off. 9. Rankin constituents and PPD employees ask Anawak to help them. 10. Jack responds to comments made by Ross Mrazek when he tells CBC that this decision on decentralization of PPD employees is final and if they don’t go to Baker Lake it will be as if they quit. 11. Anawak responds to CBC that Mrazek’s comments are premature and that losing the experienced staff at PPD in Rankin Inlet (who are mostly Inuit) would be a wrong move. 12. Premier removes Jack from cabinet. 13. Chapter Two coming soon. Justin Merritt Editors note: We checked this theory with some MLAs, and found that there is no factual basis for any of the actions attributed to MLAs. We are printing the letter anyway, so that interested readers can learn something about what some people are actually thinking. February 21, 2003 Thanks from Samuel Arnakallak’s family I would like to give many thanks to the following people for their support during the time my grandfather was at the Ottawa General Hospital. Samuel Arnakallak passed away on Dec. 2, 2002. He was a friend, a father and a great-great-grandfather. He will truly be remembered and missed. I would like to give my gratitude to those who shared my emotions through all of this, starting with First Air, which provided discounts for my daughter and me from Kuujjuaq to Ottawa, High Arctic Trust Funds for providing us with the tickets, the Larga employees, especially Louise Qanguk and family, the nurses and doctors, and the many people who prayed for him and all the support from friends and families. Lisa Nashak and family Inuit gays and lesbians can’t be denied This in response to the Nunatsiaq News article "Group wants gender identity in Nunavut human rights law" published Feb. 7, 2003. In regards to the above-mentioned article, I have enclosed what I feel is my valid personal opinion that I wish to share. I am a lesbian Inuk, and for the statement attributed to Premier Paul Okalik via the Nunatsiaq News that "gays and lesbians were not part of Inuit culture when explaining why the Baffin Correctional Centre does not provide condoms for inmates" is, in my opinion, total nonsense. By virtue of that one statement, he has effectively cancelled those who do not fit his norm. I did not personally give him permission to cancel me out by definition of ignorance or insecurities. No one, no matter who you are, or what position you hold, has the power to do that. There are two issues in the previous statement that I would like to address: 1. Gays and lesbians in Inuit culture I, for one, would like to know, which culture do I belong to? I am not from Nunavut, but from Labrador, and an Inuk is an Inuk regardless if you are from the East, Central or the West. My biological family is orginally from Nunavik. Speaking from personal experience about being a lesbian Inuk, it was very hard for me to "come out," as I’m sure it was for others, regardless of culture. Coming from a small community where everyone knows who you are (if they don’t know you, then they know some relation of yours), and not wanting to tarnish the family name or embarass family members, I decided to stay in the closet. This was one of the major reasons why I left home. Boy, was I stupid, naive and innocent. Comments like "gays and lesbians do not exist" take me back to the days when the elders and Inuit in positions of power denied the existence of incest in our culture. This denial, in turn, leads to the internal explosion of our youth in attempted suicide and completed suicide. All of this was done in the name of keeping the Inuit culture clean, healthy and stable, and the perceived notion we projected to non-Inuit cultures was in total denial of these issues. This led us to the quintessential portrait of the jolly, happy, short, squat Inuk that white society holds of us, running to our igloo. This is what we are comfortable with in allowing white society holds of us, running to our igloo. This is what we are comfortable with in allowing non-Inuit to view us in the stereotypical manner to which we and they have become accustomed, so as not not ruffle feathers and to be accepted by them. This has got to stop. Only by truth and honesty will we make it happen. 2. Not providing condoms for inmates I work for an Inuit organization as an HIV/AIDS project assistant. I am also on two national steering committees for HIV/AIDS. True, there may or not be gays in the Baffin Correctional Centre, but you do not have to be a homosexual to use a condom. I figure that when the urge hits, any orifice will do. When I see a comment like this, I sometimes think to myself, what am I and the other steering committee members doing? We are trying to educate aboriginal people about HIV/AIDS, STDs, hepatitis C and to have safe sex, and the premier states that there is no need of condoms in the institution. It makes me shake my head in shame and disgust. Tracy Adams February 28, 2003 Editorial "inappropriate and silly" Your editorial titled "Fine too high for bylaw violation" was silly and inconsistent with your paper’s earlier position on bylaw infractions. I provide a portion of an editorial in which you sided with the majority of Iqaluit residents, who want City Council to enforce its zoning bylaws: "...This (zoning) work represents the core function of all Canadian municipalities... But despite all this work, Iqaluit municipal officials have usually acted as if their zoning bylaw is a mere bureaucratic inconvenience, especially when major private developers stride into council chambers asking to be exempted from the rules. One visible sign of this is all the inappropriate residential housing scattered around.... (Sept. 14, 2001, "Why a zoning bylaw?") Your comment that Council has "... turned down several reasonable proposals from private developers..." is not correct. In fact, Council has rejected only two significant proposals during the past 18 months — one proposal, concerning a major developments at the four corners, has been well documented on these pages. A second proposal was rejected because it involved a multi-residential development in an area zoned R1 for single family housing. Many proponents were asked to provide more information, in accordance with the City’s bylaws. Some contractors complied and received permits, others elected to cancel or defer their plans. The issue relating to the recommendation for the $10,000 fine needs some explanation. A duplex is allowed as a conditional use in areas zoned R1 (single family residential) under the current zoning bylaw. The permit issued for the house, referenced in your editorial, was to construct a single family dwelling. The house is a duplex, in contravention of the governing bylaw. The recommendation for a $10,000 fine was based on the cost incurred by the city to investigate and prosecute this case. Rather than being disproportionate to the infraction, it is fair and reasonable. In fact, many contractors would willingly pay a fine of $10,000, as a cost of doing business, in order to end up with a duplex in an area zoned for single family use. This additional cost could easily be recovered within one year from increased rental revenues. The editorial used a scatter gun like approach to vilify all council initiatives. The use of words and phrases like "anal-retentive", "behind the backs of prying city staff," and "city of Iqaluit’s Inspector Gadgets" is both inappropriate and silly. Rather than trying to understand the editorial’s final sentence: "Simply having to live in a city run by our current town council is punishment enough", I suggest that the editor objectively review this council’s achievements over the past 28 months. John Matthews February 28, 2003 Daughter lived life to the fullest My daughter Rebecca was born on Feb. 9, 1952, and died on Feb. 9, 2003. She was buried on Feb. 14, which is also her wedding anniversary. On her behalf, I send out greetings to the people she interpreted for. She did her best in answering questions and tried just as hard when speaking on behalf of the Inuit she was interpreting for. She has helped just about everybody in the Baffin Region because of her warm heart. She lived her life to the fullest, in fact, she worked right to the end. Look at her beautiful smile, you can almost feel her warm heart. Rebecca is no longer with us, but she is buried in Iqaluit. Our Lord decided it was her time so she left us. Thank you to her family, her daughters, grandchildren, and especially her husband Jean-Guy. Rebecca wanted us to keep you in the family, and we will grant her wish. Jean-Guy you are still family and we love you. Tommy Tattatuapik February 28, 2003 Nunavut’s local governments are corrupt, incompetent It has come to the minds of so many frustrated Nunavummiut people that there is too much conflict of interest that is just being passed up, and our elected local governments are taking full advantage of it. Conflict of interest guidelines aren’t being followed to the full extent that they should be followed, so many things aren’t being questioned by regional superintendents and are going unnoticed by our house in Iqaluit. We northerners have always conducted our business in the open, not under the table, which is happening today in each hamlet and municipality. If conflict of interest guidelines were enforced, many of our elected bodies in various levels of government would be removed from the positions that they hold. Corruption in government is out of control and must be stopped right away before we totally get back to Square One when land claims first started 30 years ago. We voters must take a clear hard look before we go to the polls in the next elections and think twice to see who is running. People who have held power in the past tend to keep their swollen thumbs on everything and everybody that they can trample on. We had high hopes of running our own affairs locally, not by outsiders who never had the chance to laugh and cry with the people, furthermore people who have no knowledge of the community or how it should be governed go into office, never informing voters on what their intentions are. Non-aboriginal people who get into office are quickly running into conflict of interest and start conducting business on behalf of themselves and their inner circle, totally leaving everyone else in the dark. We had a private venture going when it was pulled out from underneath us non-aboriginal people, and it really hurt when local officials plotted to take it away from us. Let me tell you, it was 100 per cent locally-owned, not like most dummy corporations that have Inuit directors who are just being used by these companies who operate in Nunavut. I know for a fact the conflict of interest commissioner would have his hands full a good 11 months of the year if all levels of government were investigated. Nepotism must stop as well when it comes to handing out contracts and jobs, and the tendering process must be reformed so that all parties are given a fair chance for bidding. Incompetent people are running the show in most Nunavut communities, and people who are incompetent must be thrown out from the positions that they hold. Our future is at stake and our younger generation will just follow the footsteps if nothing is done to stop corruption in government. Name withheld by request February 28, 2003 No source for workless stat Your Jan. 31 article ‘Ottawa must spend on training to comply with land claim, NTI says’ contained the statement "A whopping 38 per cent of working-age people in Nunavut are either looking for work and can’t find a job, or have given up looking for work altogether." No source was provided for this statistic. In the spring of 2001 Nunavummit Kiglisiniartiit (Nunavut Bureau of Statistics) conducted the 2001 Nunavut Household Survey (NuHS.) With a sample size of 5,816 adults (ages 15 and over), the results at a Nunavut-wide level are accurate to within one percentage point, 19 times out of 20. The 2001 NuHS found that Nunavummiut as a whole have a ‘real unemployment rate’ of 23.6 per cent. This figure includes ‘discouraged workers’ — people who say that they have not been actively looking for work because they perceive no work to be available in their community or suited to their skill set. Unemployment rates for men and women were very similar, but there is a significant difference in employment and unemployment rates by community, ethnicity and highest level of formal schooling. Total unemployment was just under 10per cent in Iqaluit, but over 28 per cent in the other communities. The unemployment rate was 30.7 per cent for Inuit and 2.7 per cent for non-Inuit. (This is not surprising, as many non-Inuit come to Nunavut specifically to work. If non-Inuit lose or quit their job they tend to leave the territory if they don’t find another job quickly.) Unemployment was above 35 per cent for Inuit with less than a completed high school education, and 14 per cent for Inuit who have completed high school. I am not aware of any data on the number of Nunavummiut who have "given up looking for work altogether." Jack Hicks
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