Carrefour Nunavut prepares for meeting amid tumultuous circumstances

After a tumultuous summer that saw Carrefour Nunavut’s membership vote to fire the entire board of directors, the non-profit group will meet Friday night for its annual general meeting.

With 35 members, six full-time employees and a $1.3-million budget funded by the Nunavut and federal governments, Carrefour Nunavut is an economic development agency that aims to promote the business interests of French speakers in the Arctic.

“[The board] tried to prioritize personal business ventures over the non-profit’s objectives … and created conflicts of interest,” Francis Essebou, executive director of the organization, said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

Essebou has been in the executive director role for six years.

Nicholas Rodrigues was elected to the board along with four others in June 2024 and became its chairperson.

Essebou alleged Rodrigues tried to push through unauthorized projects that made inappropriate use of the organization’s resources.

“Most concerning of all was his refusal to sign the engagement letter required to initiate our financial audit for the year, despite being fully aware of our fiduciary obligations and our duty to ensure proper accountability,” Essebou said.

Essebou said Wednesday that police have not been asked to investigate.

Contacted by Nunatsiaq News, Rodrigues denied all of the allegations made against him and responded with accusations against Essebou, including that Essebou was denied the ability to review budgets, cash flow and audits, and was prevented from contacting Carrefour’s members.

“The executive management has ensured opaque management of the organization by refusing numerous requests for information about the organization since the election, despite resolutions to this effect,” Rodrigues said Wednesday in a French-language email to Nunatsiaq News.

“These allegations only emerged following our persistent requests for access to the organization’s financial information and questions about the actions of the executive management.”

In an emailed response to Rodriques’ assertions sent to Nunatsiaq News on Thursday, Essebou said board members can view the membership registry, but only in person at the Carrefour office because the information is confidential.

He said all board members have access to the organization’s documents and financial records through Carrefour’s internal databases.

Essebou says an interim board made up of Benoit Havard, Collins Tagnigou, and Christ Vladimir Tchapda was elected Aug. 20 to replace Rodrigues and his board. Havard was named chairperson, according to Essebou.

Rodrigues said the meeting in which members voted to oust him and the board was not legitimate because he fired Essebou first, on Aug. 19.

Both Rodrigues and Essebou say they are considering legal action.

Rodrigues — who maintains he is still chairman of Carrefour — organized a special meeting Wednesday at Iqaluit’s Frobisher Inn, which Essebou maintained was illegitimate.

The annual general meeting is scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Iqaluit’s Franco Centre.