Barnes vacates Nunavut seat on NAPO board

Gordon Barnes resigned from the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) board of directors on Sept. 5. He was the first Nunavummiut appointed to the board.

The executive director of Iqaluit’s Oqota Emergency Shelter accepted the volunteer position in May this year. NAPO is a non-profit organization based in Ottawa with representatives across Canada.

Barnes attended one annual general meeting in June and joined the women’s issues committee. He stepped down this week after deciding to leave Iqaluit and move his young family to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland this month. His wife will join them at Christmas.

Barnes encourages people to step in where he bowed out.

“I think NAPO can do a lot for people here,” he said.

NAPO is known for lobbying for federal anti-poverty legislation.