Nunavut MP, premier, Iqaluit mayor host Arctic council event

Tea and bannock and an opportunity to talk to elected officials, April 25, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Anglican Parish Hall. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

If you like a dash of politics with your fresh bannock and tea, come to Iqaluit’s Anglican Parish Hall April 25.

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq, Premier Peter Taptuna and Iqaluit Mayor Mary Wilman plan to host a bannock and tea event at the hall, a joint news release from the federal government, the Government of Nunavut and the City of Iqaluit said April 23.

The event takes place after the April 24 Arctic Council meeting, which will go on behind closed doors — but will be livestreamed on the Arctic Council website from — 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — at the Nunavut Legislative Assembly building in Iqaluit.

The tea is the only event related to the Arctic Council’s meeting in Iqaluit that is open to the public.

The arrival of high-profile international delegates means an increased security presence in Iqaluit, a spokesperson for the Nunavut RCMP told Nunatsiaq News earlier this week.

“This will not cause any change in police service to the City of Iqaluit,” Sgt. Yvonne Niego said.

But the increased security measures do mean that access to the high-ranking Arctic Council ministers will be limited — much more so than when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited Iqaluit in 2002.

Ministers from the Arctic Council’s eight member nations — Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland — as well as members of the six permanent indigenous participants started arriving April 23 in Iqaluit for the meeting.

The last batch of delegates are expected to land at the Iqaluit airport early April 24, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, according to a media itinerary handed out by organizers of the Arctic Council meeting.

The Arctic Council meeting wraps up with an invitation-only reception at the Gallery restaurant in the Frobisher Inn April 24, featuring local artists and fashion designers.

The following morning, Aglukkaq, Taptuna and Wilman will host the community tea and bannock event, which will feature arts, crafts and live music.

The tea and bannock event will run from 10 a.m. to noon April 25 at the Anglican parish hall, the site of the 1998 Arctic Council ministerial, which was largely open to media and members of the public.