Nunavut holidays don’t reflect territory’s culture, MLA says

David Joanasie, MLA for South Baffin, questioned the government March 17 on why Nunavut Day is not a holiday for all residents. The day, July 9, celebrates the creation of the territory and the signing of the Nunavut land claims agreement. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

Nunavut’s holidays don’t reflect the territory’s cultural traditions well enough, David Joanasie, the MLA for South Baffin, told the territorial government March 17.

In final day of the legislative assembly’s winter sitting, which happened to be St. Patrick’s Day, several MLAs extended St. Patrick’s Day greetings to colleagues, friends and relatives.

Although it isn’t a statutory holiday, the occasion brought to mind a few changes Joanasie thinks the government should make.

Nunavut has one statutory holiday, marked for the first Monday of August, “simply referred to as a ‘civic holiday,’” he said.

“I believe we should consider legally renaming this statutory holiday to something that is more reflective of our culture and tradition,” he told the minister of justice, Paul Okalik.

Okalik replied that Joanasie could propose renaming the holiday though a private member’s bill.

At the same time, Joanasie noted that Nunavut Day, July 9, actually isn’t a statutory holiday for all workers.

Nunavut Day celebrates the creation of the territory and the signing of the Nunavut land claims agreement.

“Although this day is a paid holiday for employees of the Government of Nunavut and a number of Inuit organizations, it is not a general statutory holiday for the territory,” the MLA said.

“I believe that all residents of the territory should celebrate Nunavut Day together. And I believe that it would be fair for everyone if the day were treated consistently by all employers.”

Okalik recalled that the territory’s first legislative assembly, in which he served, proposed to create July 9 as an official holiday for all of Nunavut.

“At the time, the private sector after being heard by regular members on a standing committee, suggested that it would create an added cost to their businesses,” the minister said.

“My colleagues at the time suggested that we put it down as a government holiday. So that’s where we left it.”

Joanasie said he recognized that there are “added costs associated with creating new holidays, and I recognize that the idea of removing existing statutory holidays is generally not well received by the public.”

With that, the MLA noted that February is one of the few months of the year that Nunavut has no statutory holiday.

Many provinces have one day marked as a holiday that month, he said — and most of them call it “Family Day.”

“Would the government be willing to examine the idea of a new statutory day in February to recognize and celebrate families?” he asked Okalik.

“Any time you create a holiday it adds costs to other sectors as well as government,” Okalik replied.

“It’s something that we would have to consider very carefully, and hear from all parties to give it serious consideration.”