Iqaluit capital plan approved, despite opposition

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

Iqaluit residents may have a say in the design of their new Nunavut government buildings, but not their location.

“It’s a pity there wasn’t more public consultation,” architect Clive Clark said, following Town Council’s approval Tuesday of a plan to build three new office buildings in the “four-corners” area of town.

Councillors Kenn Harper, Bryan Hellwig and Tom Demcheson each voted to proceed with development of the four corners area, without further public consultation, while Natsiq Kango, the only other voting councillor to attend Tuesday’s meeting, opposed the motion.

Harper said council had no choice but to uphold its decision last September to direct federal officials to plan for office construction at this intersection. The buildings are part of the infrastructure for the government of Nunavut.

“We can’t retract the direction we gave NCC and the government of Canada,” Harper said. “That would be irresponsible. It would damage our integrity and hold the council up to ridicule.”

Councillors flip-flopped

Early in the evening, though, both Hellwig and Demcheson stated that the public must be consulted on location. Hellwig, who chairs the Town’s development committee, went so far as to comment that council mustn’t be a “dictatorship.”

“The excuse that we are elected by the people and responsible to the people can be an excuse no longer,” Hellwig said. “I believe a much larger population should have a say. If the doors don’t open on April 1, 1999, so what? What’s important is that when they do open it will be the people’s choice.”

But within a hour, Hellwig had his hand raised in support of a motion that will limit public input to details such as building design, traffic flow and parking.

Demcheson, who spoke very little on the project, also changed his mind, after initially agreeing with the idea for wider public consultation.

“Quite often people feel they’re being left out of the process,” Demcheson said. “If people aren’t happy with either of the three options, then we have to look at something else.”

At a Town development committee meeting last Wednesday several people, including Iqaluit MLA Ed Picco and Qikiqtani Inuit Association president Lazarus Arreak, told committee members that residents of Iqaluit should be asked what they think about developing the four corners area. They also expressed concern for safety and the increase in traffic.

Last minute lobbying

Markus Wilcke, vice-chair of the community grassroots organization Illitiit, said his group is concerned that people aren’t aware of the scale of the project.

This is the plan that Council voted for:

Two three-storey office buildings, one for the Nunavut government and one for the Town of Iqaluit, will be constructed on a lot currently occupied by the Hunters and Trappers Association. The municipal garage and Nunavut Arctic College’s arts and crafts building will also have to be removed to make room for the development.

A three-storey federal government office building will be constructed in the lot behind the Parnaivik Building.
“Illitiit is concerned that the views of the general public aren’t being considered in these issues,” Wilcke said before hearing council’s decision.

Illitiit conducted a one-day telephone survey Tuesday of about 25 per cent of its 70 members asking their opinions on the value of public input, location and cultural importance of the development project.

“People felt it was very important or important to have public input into the location and design of the buildings,” Wilcke said.

Those surveyed said motor vehicle traffic and safety are other important issues to consider in the design of the new buildings.

“They should be a symbol of the wellness this government is striving for,” he said.

The Iqaluit Trade and Promotions Office (ITAPO) and Qikiqtani Inuit Association also conducted cursory telephone surveys Tuesday.

No effort to communicate

Steven Roberts of the trade and promotions office told Council that 44 of the 51 people who responded to the ITAPO survey felt that more public consultation was important.

Roberts, who is also publisher of the Nunatsiaq News, criticized Council for a lack of long-term vision in the area of capital development.

“There’s been no real effort on the part of Town Council to communicate with the residents,” Roberts said.

QIA’s Arreak was disappointed to see only four voting council members at the meeting.

“It’s not the kind of decision we were expecting, but they do have the mandate and the authority to decide and we respect that.”

Pressure from NCC

NCC President Tagak Curley pushed Council Tuesday to endorse a site immediately.

“Today you have to indicate where you’re going to put these buildings,” he urged, stating that work on the designs must begin next week. He added other communities would welcome the development project if Iqaluit couldn’t make a decision.

“If the office requirements are too much for Iqaluit, they could be moved to Rankin Inlet,” he said.

Some people, including MLA Ed Picco, believe council bowed under this pressure to move the project along.

“Those timelines are real, but I don’t think they should have been the contingent reason for making the decision that was made. I don’t think there was proper consultation,” Picco said.

“After the piles are in and that building is up it’ll be too late to say we made a mistake and the traffic congestion is too much. There are very few options once the building is up.”

Mary Clark, a frequent visitor to Iqaluit, was disappointed to hear that the hunters’ and trappers’ building and the arts centre will be replaced by office buildings.

“To see those replaced with commercial buildings takes the culture out of the central area,” she said.

Council’s decision allows NCC to now proceed with its development applications.