Few takers for community empowerment

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

Some Baffin hamlets are still skeptical about the benefits of the territorial government’s community empowerment plan.

Although the GNWT has been trying for the past two years to convince Nunavut hamlets to accept responsibility for such programs as social services and housing, leaders in some communities still don’t buy into the plan.

“We’ve got the draft agreements here and we’re still reviewing them,” said Clyde River’s senior administrative officer Jonathan Palluq. “We’ve been discussing community empowerment for two years now and the hamlet still isn’t too eager to sign any agreements.”

The GNWT developed the community empowerment plan to give hamlets more control over the delivery of programs and public services at the local level.

Some hamlet councils, such as Igloolik and Cape Dorset, have already committed themsleves to some responsibilities, while shying away from others.

Not enough resources for hamlets?

But Clyde River council is hesitant to take on any of the burden because it fails to believe the territorial government will give it the additional resources and flexibility it needs to carry out the programs.

“Right now all the administration and operations and maintenance funds are allocated to one section,” Palluq said. “There’s not enough flexibility in the financial administration. It will need to be modified to allow each program to carry its own administration costs and maintenance costs.”

But in discussions with other Baffin SAOs, Palluq said some hamlets are forced to pick up the slack themselves.

“In some ways the hamlets are carrying out quite a few programs at their own cost.”

Inconsistency

Currently each hamlet is responsible for negotiating its own deal with the GNWT. Both Palluq and Clyde River Mayor James Qillaq say this leads to inconsistency among the communities.

“We don’t really know how our agreements are compared to other hamlets,” Palluq said.”

Mayor Qillaq said Baffin SAOs need to be able to meet and discuss the situation in their respective communities. He’ll raise that point when he attends the Baffin Leaders’ Summit in Pangnirtung next week.

Unlike in the Kitikmeot and Keewatin regions, Baffin SAOs aren’t invited to attend the leaders’ meetings with the mayors.

“The SAOs have to have meetings with other SAOs,” Qillaq said.

No benefits from construction?

Qillaq will also use the meeting to tell Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Jose Kusugak that he doesn’t see his or any other small community benefiting from construction related to Nunavut’s decentralized government.

“We have small contractors in the communities, but it seems that (constructon) isn’t going to help these communities.”

Mayors and leaders from other Baffin communities will have the chance to raise their voices in Pangnirtung.

Broughton Island Mayor Lootie Toomasie will voice concerns his community has about the DEW Line cleanup and the need for youth committees in the communities, while Pond Inlet Deputy Mayor Geeoosoonie Killiktee is expected to question the lack of consultation between NTI and land claim beneficiaries.

Other topics on the agenda for the July 10-13 meeting include divison of the territories, the GNWT’s Northern Employment Strategy and housing.