Baffin mayors highlight housing needs across region

Housing emerged as a dominant issue this week at the first Baffin Mayors’ Forum in 14 years.

Premier John Main, left, and Community Services Minister Craig Simailak address the Baffin Mayors Forum at Iqaluit’s Aqsarniit Hotel on Thursday. (Photo by Daron Letts)

“There are more and more homeless,” Sanirajak’s Deputy Mayor Manasee Ulayak said Tuesday during one of several roundtable discussions held at Iqaluit’s Aqsarniit hotel during the three-day from that ended Thursday.

Although the leaders have not finalized the six resolutions they plan to present to the territorial government in coming months, several housing-related themes emerged during the meetings.

“We need to construct more houses,” Pond Inlet Mayor Joshua Arreak said in Inuktitut through a translator. 

Others offered criticism about how funding is spent, when it does come.

Pangnirtung’s acting mayor Markus Wilcke questioned how money is often paid to “huge corporations down south” as a one-stop solution of convenience as the territory chips away at its infrastructure deficit.

“They are looking at paper — they don’t look after people — that has to change,” he said.

“We need to look at investment in our young people. If youth can be employed, their mental health will be better. They’ll have purpose and they will not need to escape into alcohol and drugs.”

Some leaders expressed a desire for more autonomy to organize their own solutions to their infrastructure needs.

“Let us borrow money. Let us do it,” said Rob Hedley, Sanikiluaq’s senior administrative officer. “The power has to be in the hands of municipal councils.”

Leaders also identified increasing each hamlet’s housing stock as a way to better manage communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, which can spread in overcrowded housing.

Nunavut’s government has been focused on housing since unveiling a plan in 2022 to build 3,000 units by 2030. The rollout of Nunavut 3000 has faced some criticism, with Canada’s auditor general reporting a lack of transparency last year over progress.

A committee of five leaders is meeting online to hash out six resolutions within the next two weeks. The resolutions and a summarized report of the forum will be presented to the Department of Community Services in the coming months, said Roberto Moretti, Arctic Bay’s chief administrative officer and forum organizer, in an interview.

Moretti is on the committee with Sebastian Kanayuk, Arctic Bay’s economic development officer, Wilcke, Hedley and Ulayak.

Depending on how those discussions unfold, more resolutions could be added to the final list, Moretti said.

All but one of the region’s mayors attended the forum. Grise Fiord Mayor Meeka Kiguktak was in Iqaluit, but was unable to attend due to medical appointments.