EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
The Deputy Mayor, John Qaurnik of Repulse Bay was on hand to give the Governor General a warm welcome.
The Senior Administration Officer was also very helpful and we extend our warmest gratitude to the both of them.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the Tusaarivik School students for the warm welcome which they extended to the Governor General and myself.
Member’s Statement 272 - 1(3): Kugluktuk Hockey Tournament
Mr. Havioyak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Today I rise to comment about a hockey tournament recently held in Kugluktuk.
Teams came from Cambridge Bay, Holman Island and of course Kugluktuk.
Hockey players from the east did not attend.
People of Kugluktuk were very happy on this occasion that started Friday evening and the tournament completed Sunday evening.
The weekend was a wonderful chance for competing teams, all weekend plus dinner for all those involved in the weekend events.
Later that evening the skill competition began.
Congratulations to all those who entered this event to show their talents.
Sunday was the day of the finals where all teams played their best to win the placing of the weekend events.
Third place went to Cambridge Bay, second place to Kugluktuk team, first place to Holman Island.
(interpretation) All were very happy during this occasion in Kugluktuk and we want to congratulate and those who volunteered, the students and coaches, we want to extend our thanks to the people of Kugluktuk.
They opened their homes to those young people and looked after them.
The people of Kugluktuk and young people participating in that tournament had a very good time.
Member’s Statement 273 - 1(3): Qikiqtarjuaq Clam Divers
Mr. Speaker I rise today to read a document that was sent to me from the Qikiqtarjuaq clam divers, it reads: Mr. Iqaqrialu, you are the representative for your constituency at the Legislative Assembly.
Those of us who are clam divers in Qikiqtarjuaq would like to request support from you.
In October 1998, we took a course in Iqaluit for a whole week, once we completed the course we were given diver’s certification.
They gave us plastic cards and certified that we were the marine divers.
Once we completed our course, we were told that we could harvest clams by way of diving and we were very happy.
However, an inspector declared that our diver’s certification was a recreational diver’s certification.
We were also informed that our lack of insurance for commercial diving was a problem.
Therefore, we are requesting support for higher training course on diving to achieve commercial divers status.
We love to dive and we want to continue and be successful.
We thank each and every one of the Members of the Legislative Assembly and may God bless you.
Thank you from Davidee Koonelusie, Charlie Aliqatuktuk, Isaac Audlakiak, Noah Qiutaam.
I will be asking questions in regards to this issue during the question period.
Remind Members to keep an eye on their clocks when they are doing their statements.
Over the last few days many members have gone over.
Member’s Statement 274 - 1(3): Gjoa Haven Office Opening
I heard the interpreter’s say Okalik so I did not think you were saying Mr. Puqiqnak.
I would like to apologize to my constituency that I am unable to be in my community during the opening ceremony of the government office in Gjoa Haven.
As the Legislative Assembly is sitting at this time dealing with the main estimates, it is very important that I be here at the session.
When we deal with the main estimates I would like to represent my constituency well during the main estimates session.
Mr. Speaker the new Gjoa Haven office had just opened today and I know that it is very important for decentralization and we are proud that the office was built there.
It shows that the government is proceeding and succeeding with decentralization in the communities which will provide more job opportunities in the communities such as Gjoa Haven.
Member’s Statement 275 - 1(3): Iqaluit Teachers
Mr. Speaker I was extremely disturbed to hear a report on the radio this morning that suggested that Iqaluit had too many teachers.
Mr. Speaker it should go without saying that communities and schools cannot have too many teachers.
That’s like saying students are too well educated, or that communities are too healthy.
I don’t need to remind this House that students in Iqaluit are still being sent home on too many occasion’s because classes are being cancelled as a result of there not being enough teachers or substitutes on hand.
I can’t imagine that there is a single parent in this community or any other community who would think that their children’s schools have too many teachers.
Mr. Speaker I understand that Iqaluit has over a hundred new students since this past fall alone.
By the fall of this year that number may be over a one hundred and seventy new students.
The current formula is hardly magical or perfect for example there are 29 kindergarten students at Joamie elementary school.
This is only considered as 14.5 FTEs that is what they are funded on.
But next year when the students move into grade 1 the formula will ignore the fact that are actually 29 students in the classroom not the 14.5 FTEs they are funded for.
Iqaluit’s unique circumstances are further reflected by the fact that there are three language streams in this community’s schools with the existing formula the student teacher ratio in the Inuktitut stream could be as high as 30 to 1.
Mr. Speaker I fully support the Minister of Education’s commitment to review the formula.
While Iqaluit may have more teachers than the formula allows this ignores the fact that there are over 120 more students than the formula took into consideration last fall.
This situation is hardly unique to Iqaluit as it is my understanding that there are schools throughout Nunavut that have more teachers than the formula strictly permits.
Any review must take into account the realities of the schools in communities like this one and not merely be a rigid mathematical abstraction that ignores the real needs of students, parents and teachers alike.
The fact is Mr. Speaker, that Iqaluit like many other communities does not have too many teachers, the fact is there are too few resources to get the number of teachers that our schools need.
Member’s Statement 276 - 1(3): Member’s Comments on Killiniq High School
Mr. Speaker I ask for the indulgence from the Members for my statement may be over the allotted time.
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker the Member for Iqaluit Centre made a statement on meeting basic needs and fairness.
I quote Mr. Tootoo from page 6 of yesterday’s unedited Hansard, quote “As time goes on and basic needs are met than yes we should have add-ons to our schools so they can become show-pieces.
Mr. Speaker it is a question of fairness, let’s make sure that all community’s fundamental needs are met for a government to do otherwise shows that favouritism is condoned” end quote.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Honourable Member’s comments are targeted towards the Killiniq High School project in Cambridge Bay.
Like all Members in this House, first and foremost I am here to represent my constituents and if the Member thought I would idly sit by and take in his statement without a response he was wrong.
Mr. Speaker I am compelled to respond on behalf of my constituents and quite frankly I thought about listing facility by facility, school by school, what are government funds here in Iqaluit.
But no, I don’t begrudge what the Town of Iqaluit has in respect to the many facilities it has as I know there is a need for those facilities.
Otherwise why would they be there.
Mr. Speaker I have with me a file of correspondence, letters dating back to September of 1998 one month after the Killiniq High School burned to the ground.
Letters from the Hamlet Council, the local education authority the Kitikmeot Heritage Society signed by 10 of our Elders, the Killiniq High School principal and letters from myself as the MLA.
The letters are addressed to the Minister of Education of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Minister’s Arvaluk and former Minister Havioyak, Premier Okalik of the Government of Nunavut, the Deputy Ministers; Mr. Moody, Mr. Irniq, the Office of the Interim Commissioner including the Interim Commissioner himself.
I also have a resolution in this file from the Kitikmeot Leader’s Forum dated in October of 1998 supporting the large gym as part of the replacement project.
Later I’ll table this resolution and the letter from the Heritage Society which is addressed to the Minister Havioyak in both English and Innuinaqtut.
All of these pieces of correspondence Mr. Speaker substantiate the need for a full-sized gymnasium and a cultural heritage centre.
Speaker: Proceed Mr. Ng.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you Honourable Members.
Mr. Speaker, I’ll speak briefly about the full-sized gym.
There is a request for a hundred additional square metres estimated at $395 thousand dollars with the Hamlet contributing 20% of the funding.
Originally it was 293 additional metres which included the enhanced change room, gym office, enhanced storage, the stage etc. for the full size gym.
This was all given up by the municipality in trying to make the project more viable, in trying to accommodate the Government of Nunavut.
The main reason for the request for the full size gym is that there is no full size gym in the Kitikmeot at all to allow for regional or territorial athletic or cultural events.
That’s why, Mr. Speaker, the Kitikmeot Leaders Forum made up of all the mayors, the Inuit Association, the Divisional Board of Education, the Divisional Health Board who all supported this project.
Mr. Speaker, the Heritage and the Cultural Centre, the request is for 200 additional square meters estimated at approximately at 525 thousand.
The Kitikmeot Heritage Society itself as of today has 85 thousand dollars today sitting in a bank account to contribute to this project.
That is how committed they are to it.
The school that burnt down had a community library and a Heritage and Cultural Centre as part of their structure.
It displayed artifacts, they ran cultural programs such as drum making, tool making, story telling, traditional clothing making.
Elders taught these programs to students and to the public at large.
This was all developed outside of GNWT policies at the time due to the strong community support.
In Cambridge Bay the traditional cultural ties are probably the weakest in Nunavut through no fault of the residents of the community.
You only have to look at the history of the community Mr. Speaker.
It was established as a Dew Line site.
It was a Ministry of Transport Centre and then subsequently a GNWT Regional Office.
There was a strong presence by Health and Welfare Canada, the RCMP and other Federal agencies.
There was a strong outside influence on the community and around its residents.
The community recognises this Mr. Speaker.
Over the past eight to ten years they have made a concerted effort to strengthen cultural, language, and traditional community knowledge.
Initiatives such as establishing the Heritage Society, an elders committee, accessing funding from Federal programs etc., to pursue these initiatives are proof of these efforts.
I want to read briefly Mr. Speaker, an excerpt from a letter addressed to the former Minister Havioyak signed by ten elders.
Quote “This partnership has allowed our organization to create a facility that truly promotes learning at all ages by all people in the community regardless of their ability to read or write.
This will be a place for newcomers to learn about Inuit culture and language first hand from the elders.
This will be a place for elders to mix with youth from the high school, a place where both groups will have a sense of belonging.
This will be a place where children will come to understand their past and why it is important to hold on to their culture through their language.
This will be a place where people will love to learn.”
Their closing sentence of that same letter, Mr. Speaker:
“We hope that you will continue to listen and will understand the value to our community of such a facility for the short and long term."
Mr. Speaker in closing, the community elders that are actively involved in strengthening their language, their cultural and traditional knowledge, should not be penalized for their efforts.
They should be commended and supported in their efforts Mr. Speaker.
To me that is the Nunavut way.
Member's Statement 277 – 1(3): Lack of Representative Government
I had my hand up quite a while Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today…I do not have any sport stories like other members but I have a concern I want to let the members know about.
I will talk about the concerns of the two communities that I represent.
We were very happy to get a Nunavut Government because it would be for all people of Nunavut.
But after the government started operating the people, especially with the time zone change voiced some concerns.
My community has told me about the Nunavut day holiday in that they do not want to take the first Monday in August.
The community that I represent had great hope when we first started campaigning for the Nunavut Government, people said that the government of Nunavut would be for all the people of Nunavut.
The Government of Nunavut is following some of that, but some are not.
They are not fully representing the people.
This government is not really listening to the people.
So today I rise Mr. Speaker, to say we have to remember that we have to represent our people and we have to listen to them, to their wishes.
We have to work together and we have to also represent the people that voted us in here, because we have to follow their wishes.
Speaker: Members try to be kind to the furniture please.
Member's Statement 278 – 1(3): Governor General’s Visit to Pond Inlet
I just want to apologize to the people of Pond Inlet that when the Governor General went up to Pond Inlet I could not attend because it was not a good schedule for me.
I just want to apologize to the people of Pond Inlet.
Member's Statement 279 – 1(3): Relocation of Iqaluit East Office
Mr. Picco: Qujannamiik Uqaqti.
Uqaqti, being an MLA means being accountable and as well as being available to the constituency.
I would like to take this opportunity to announce to this House and the people of Iqaluit East that there is a change of location and times for my constituency office.
Mr. Speaker, as of Monday April 3, I have opened a new office in beautiful Apex to help serve the constituents there.
Mr. Speaker, the Apex office at the present time is operating from house 3236.
I am trying to secure permanent office space in Apex but in the meantime Mr. Speaker, the Apex office will be open 9 to 12, Monday through Friday.
Our current constituency office located across from the Navigator will continue to be open from 1 to 5 Monday through Friday to serve residents here in Town.
Mr. Speaker, operating both of these offices is a person who has been with me since day one as my representative in Iqaluit.
Oonga Henderson was born and raised in Iqaluit and will operate the Apex office from her home for now and will staff the Iqaluit office across from the Navigator every afternoon.
Oonga has worked very hard for me and the people of Iqaluit and now Mr. Speaker, Iqaluit East.
Oonga exemplifies what Iqaluit people are well known for and that is honesty, hard work and Mr. Speaker and being very friendly.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Oonga.
Mr. Speaker, during House sittings and sessions I can be reached either through the Apex or Iqaluit office or directly here at the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, these changes will help me to serve the people of Iqaluit East, Happy Valley, Tundra Valley, Apex and the Island of Killiniq better.
Member's Statement 280 – 1(3): Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti
Ms. Thompson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker.
It is nice that Mr. Picco now has two offices and he must have a lot of money to be able to afford two offices.
Yesterday afternoon we heard, through CBC Northbeat, from Yellowknife that they were not very happy about the policy that we were producing called Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti, our own BIP.
I feel that this policy is very good for the people of Nunavut especially for the businesses that are based in Nunavut.
Because we all know Mr. Speaker when the Government of the NWT was our Government the Inuit people were not benefiting too much from the Business Incentive Policy because it was geared more for people in the West, especially for the businesses in Yellowknife and Hay River.
The money was not distributed properly to the people of Nunavut and it was really benefiting the Western people more.
Nunavut’s businesses will finally benefit from this policy because at that time the people of Nunavut were not benefiting as much as the people of the West when they had the Business Incentive Policy.
Member's Statement 281 – 1(3): Central Time Zone
I rise today to make a statement about Sanikiluaq and it is in regards to Central Time zone change, sometimes referred to as Nunavut time zone.
The people of Sanikiluaq were not satisfied with the change because all year round we have a lot of darkness and only in the spring do we have bright days in Sanikiluaq.
For that reason the people of Sanikiluaq were against the single time zone however the people of Sanikiluaq do try to do what they are asked to do and they are always open to the Government’s wishes.
They are not against Government initiatives however, they are being negatively affected by the time change in our region.
So representing the people of Sanikiluaq I wish to state that although the Government has done well in some areas I would invite them to go to Sanikiluaq to visit the people there and get their input.
Speaker: Members’ Statements Mr. McLean.
Member's Statement 282 – 1(3): Opening of Government Office in Baker Lake
Uqaqti, today I rise to apologize to my constituents in Baker Lake for not attending the Grand Opening of the Government of Nunavut office building.
This was a historic day for the community as it shows the building of Nunavut is really going to happen.
Uqaqti, I want to take the time to acknowledge the great job of the Nunavut Construction Corporation that constructed all the facilities in Baker Lake.
The labour component for these projects was over seventy percent, which means 30 to 40 Inuit people had full time jobs for 2-3 years.
We now have a semi-skilled work force in Baker Lake in the construction trade, Mr. Speaker.
I must add that the opening was greatly attended by many, many people from Qamanittuaq.
The community event was organized by the Baker Lake Heritage Centre and as of today the Nunavut Power Corporation is moving to lease the top floor of that building for the eagerly awaited anticipated job growth in my community.
Member's Statement 283 – 1(3): Congratulations to Timoon Toonoo
Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate and honour Timoon Toonoo for his recent appointment as Superintendent for the Department of Sustainable Development to be based out of Cape Dorset.
Also I wish to apologize to the people of Cape Dorset for I will not be able attend the opening of the new Nunavut Government office in Kinngait.
We have three staff members in the office and I am quite happy about the progress we are making in Cape Dorset, however unfortunately I will not be able to attend the opening of the new office.. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Moving on to item 4.
If the members might indulge me.
To start I would like to recognize a very good friend of mine from Arviat.
He has been in town for the last few days and will be for the rest of the week.
He is here with his three sons playing at the festival.
Paul Kitsorgak, his sons Jason, Levi and Leonard.
Stand gentlemen.
Mr. Speaker, I too would like to thank the Arviat Band.
They have been playing at the Toonik Tyme and they have been exceptionally well liked by everyone who has heard them.
The third floor of the building in Baker Lake is reserved for the Power Corporation and in deference to Ms. Thompson when you are creative with your budget you can open another office in your constituency.
I would like to recognize a fine young man who last year along with his two brothers and my two sons spent several days fishing.
They did not get any fish.
They did not get any fish Mr. Speaker, but we had a lot of fun.
I hardly recognized him earlier this week in the gallery and I had to ask a page to make sure I got it right.
He spent a lot of time at my house with my son.
He is here, he has a part-time job after school.
He is a fine student, he is here as a page.
He is Christos Liptak.
Mr. Irqittuq (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker for seeing me right away.
Yes Mr. Speaker, I want to recognise a very well known person in the Baffin region.
He is a very hard worker and very outspoken and he will be my constituency assistant during this session.
He is a very capable person and I am sure he will give me all the information that I require as a member for that region.
I would like to recognize John Illupalik.
He is my new CA. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Kilabuk (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Speaker I do not usually get the opportunity to recognise people in the gallery.
However today I would like to recognise a person in the gallery.
Just last week our Sargent-At-Arms' son was medivaced to the hospital here however he is in attendance here and I am very glad to say that he is feeling better now.
In attendance is Archie and sitting to his left Lisa Ishulutak.
She is also our Sargent-At-Arms' daughter and Mosesee’s other son.
The other two are Jeesapie Nakashuk and Nuqinga Etuangat and in the very far right is my son.
I wish to recognise these young people to the gallery.
I wish to recognise a long time friend of mine who I also worked with in previous years.
When I met him at the time he hardly spoke in Inuktitut.
Although I was not with him all the time he learned Inuktitut very quickly, Terry Audla.
He is in the gallery here.
He is a hard working young person and he is very fast in learning to speak in Inuktitut.
Question 386 – 1(3): Qikiqtarjuaq Clam Divers
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will be directing my question to the Minister of Sustainable Development.
Some people in Qikiqtarjuaq as I said before, are clam divers and they lost their opportunity to make some money when the government shut down their operation.
I also raised this question during our Rankin Inlet session and I just want to ask the minister what the status of that is right now.
Speaker: Minister Kilabuk do you care to answer the question.
I was not sure which minister would respond to this.
My staff in the department have been addressing some of the concerns that have been raised and I have asked one of my officials to look into this concern of the member.
However, we do not have the exact time when these divers can take further training in clam diving and I understand the Workers' Compensation Board put a stop to their diving.
I am in support of those clam divers and we will do everything we can to assist the community.
I will keep the member informed as to the status of what we are doing within our department regarding the clam divers.
Yes I thank the minister for his response and I know he will be looking into the concerns that have been raised.
However, I would like the Minister of Human Resources to respond further to my question because the people that have had jobs no longer have any income and this clam diving was a big part of their economy locally.
This has greatly benefited the people of Qikiqtarjuaq.
So I am wondering if the departments that I referred to could look at this as soon as possible because the people of Qikiqtarjuaq totally depend on this income they were receiving from clam diving.
Speaker: Once again.
One question per minister and if you have different questions you are not able to ask or permitted rather.
The second question went to the Minister Ng I believe.
Minister it is up to yourself if you want to respond.
I believe my honourable colleague Mr. Kilabuk indicated that he would try to do all that he could within his area of responsibility to provide adequate training to allow those individuals to be certified as commercial divers.
I think he is continuing to work towards that end, Mr. Speaker.