Eiryn Devereaux moves from Nunavut Housing Corp. in GN leadership shuffle
Mathieu Parker takes over as new housing corporation president as premier announces executive-level changes
Eiryn Devereaux, pictured here acting in his role as president and CEO of the Nunavut Housing Corp., has been given a new assignment. He’s one of six new deputy ministers announced Friday by Premier John Main. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
The Nunavut Housing Corp. has a new president.
Premier John Main announced the change Friday in a news release announcing a shuffle of upper management positions across the Nunavut government.
Former housing corporation president Eiryn Devereaux is now the deputy minister for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. His replacement, Mathieu Parker, comes to the Nunavut government from his former role as director of the Arctic Council Secretariat in Norway.
Kristie Cronin is returning as deputy minister for the Department of Human Resources after leaving that role in October 2024. She was tasked at the time to help oversee the transition of the former Department of Community and Government Services into two new departments — Community Services, and Transportation and Infrastructure.
Working with her on that transition was Kyle Seeley, the former deputy minister of community and government services. He’s now deputy minister of community services, Main announced.
The Department of Culture and Heritage also has a new deputy minister, Sandy Kownak, who was formerly association deputy minister of family wellness with the Department of Family Services.
Michele LeBlanc-Havard is the new deputy minister of environment, moving from her role as former director of environmental protection.
“These staffing changes align the strengths, expertise, and professional interests of our leaders with the priorities of government and the significant work ahead,” Main said in the release.
Main thanked Teresa Hughes, the outgoing deputy minister of culture and heritage, and Alma Power, the departing deputy minister of human resources, for their years of service to the Nunavut government.
Nice try Mr. Premier. Unfortunately, your attempt to appease and deflect Nunavummiut with the move of Mr. Devereaux from NHC to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will fail. While Devereaux did do a good job back in the day when he was ADM of the now reorganized CGS. The fact remains that Nunavut 3000 was his baby along with the past Minister Kusugak and the past Premier Akeeagok. Moving Mr. Devereaux is not going to stop Nunavummiut from demanding answers to what happened over the last 4+ years to this failed undertaking which has spent 100’s of Millions of Nunavut and Canadian Taxpayers money, without delivering on the promises and commitments. For a guy who used to be a bit of a “rebel” back when you were an MLA you have now morphed into nothing more than a regular politician playing political games.
The problem is we see you. If you truly want to be “transparent” (one of your favorite words). Set up a public and independent investigation of Nunavut 3000 and especially that sole source contract with NCCD/NCC 3000 and also an AG review of Nunavut 3000 and tell Nunavummiut where the money went and where are the homes.
Only then will you “have done” something that is more than window dressing and Deputy Minister tik-tac-toe.
When the Executive Master of Business Administration Degree program came to Nunavut by the Nunavut Actic College in partnership with the St. MARY’S UNIVERSITY of Halifax, Nova Scotia in the year 1998. There was 17 students accepted into the program. Shortly after the program started 11 students dropped out because they got hired by the soon to be developed Nunavut Government. These individuals were all hired as Asst. Deputy Minister’s and other senior government positions. These individuals should be Deputy Minister’s in the Government by now, all Inuit benefits of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, where are they Mr. MAIN? I don’t see any beneficiaries in the list given, other then one department which is considered a junior department in the government in many ways then one.
Two Inuit beneficiaries graduated with their MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE from St. Mary’s University through that degree program.
Congratulations to Eiryn Devereaux on his job promotion.
I honestly would never have expected John Main to promote Eiryn Devereaux given the problems with the OAG and Nunavut 3000 and Eiryn’s well documented history of mixed messages.
Look no further than Nunatsiaq’s own reporting on Nunavut 3000 (May 28 is a good one but there’s many).
When asked whether the $2.6-billion promise of 3,000 units by 2030 was actually on track, the answer from Eiryn Devereaux was that they were “on a pathway to possibly do that.”
Possibly. That’s not accountability. That’s fog. Its unaccountable and its dismissive and a slap in the face to the people impacted by this HOUSING CRISIS!
The same article showed shifting numbers. 394 completed, then 350, then 347. Meanwhile, the Auditor General found only 18 public housing units had actually been started and completed since Nunavut 3000 launched.
When the Auditor General said NHC had not been clear with the public, the response was to push back and say they had been transparent.
Now that same leadership is being moved from housing to Transportation and Infrastructure, where the files are massive, schools, airports, health centres, roads, marine infrastructure and major capital projects. Thats a promotion and a 100% endorsement of Eiryn Devereaux.
That does not look like a reset. It looks like reward without accountability.
I expected so much more from Premier John Main and this new Government.
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
When’s the next general election?
One day we’ll start seeing more Inuit representation at the DM and ADM levels. Only then will we start seeing Article 23 roll out the way it was intended.
Chuck Norris once asked for Eiryn Devereaux for a straight answer on Nunavut 3000.
That was the only fight he ever lost.
Chuck Norris doesn’t reward people for ducking accountability.
Premier Main saw “on track to possibly” and said, “That’s my guy.”
That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice dressed up as a shuffle.
It’s disappointing to see the same senior leadership circles continue to rotate through positions while concerns raised by employees, technical experts, and communities often seem to go unaddressed. New perspectives and expertise are important if we truly want meaningful change. Otherwise, it can start to feel like the same people moving from one position to another regardless of past performance, project outcomes, or public spending.
When experienced and qualified leaders are brought in to improve systems, their knowledge should be valued. If we continue to recycle the same leadership while losing people with proven experience, meaningful change becomes much harder to achieve.
Groundhog Day came early in Nunavut.
Premier Main came out Friday, saw his shadow, and ran.
So now you get four more years of the same tired old government.
Same Deputies. Same problems.
Same excuses.
Same accountability gap, shuffled sideways.
So is this the same Eiryn, that failed CGS, left the north, came back to NHC and now returning to TIN aka CGS. Clearly, we can see what is going on. No wonder this place never develops., when you hire a goon and a bully.
Why wasn’t the DM of Family services shuffled!
We need someone that’s actually competent in child welfare, also perhaps some Inuit in the workforce would be great as well. No?
Ho hum.
Why is Eiryn Devereaux’s name and photo the focus of a story about an executive shuffle involving 6 people? After years of reading this publication’s coverage on the GN and NHC, it’s hard not to notice the same narrative appearing again and again from the same couple of journalists. Criticism is important and necessary, but good journalism also requires context, something that could be reevaluated in coverage of this file.
The term we’ve seen is “overly ambitious”. Well, at least they’re trying. That’s the story I’d like to see for once. No matter who fills these positions, the challenges remain the same, and these people still show up every day, despite the odds being stacked against them. I can only hope the next CEO is treated more kindly than the last. Dare someone to try, and then tear them down for attempting exactly that.
And another thing. There is a difference between elected officials and career public servants. One group signs up for public scrutiny. The other spends decades building their expertise and service in Nunavut, often putting out fires the public will never hear about because the obstacles are relentless.
Respect to every public servant and politician who has gone through this. In Nunavut, where most people know each other, anonymous criticism carries different weight and can often times read as personal opinions rather than critical thought. I wouldn’t wish this kind of judgment on anyone. Thankfully, most of the people being talked about on this platform are often too busy actually working to read these comments.
As for the same handful of anonymous commenters, criticism is often harsher when people aren’t willing to stand behind it with their own name. I’ll leave the dialogue here and let them do their thing. The upvotes and downvotes are also interesting, it’s pretty easy to see how this platform works. You can give yourself a few dozen likes and suddenly anyone with a keyboard gets the thrill of feeling like Socrates. A form of escapism, I suppose.
After all that privileged self pity, you still seem to have missed the part where Devereaux presided over a cock-up of epic proportions at housing.
Readers have a not unreasonable expectation of accountability from our bureaucracy. Most people would have expected Devereaux to be shuffled out of the bureaucracy, not promoted. John Main was an effective member when in opposition but the moment he got into cabinet he acted as if he’d been lobotomized and neutered. Trust and confidence in this government and its senior bureaucrats is rock bottom. The frustration is real.
In your last paragraph you make a negative inference about people who comment here anonymously, yet you yourself have commented anonymously….. Obviously you appreciate the value of being an anonymous commenter because that’s what you’ve done.
I don’t think most people are criticizing public servants for showing up to work or trying to do a difficult job. I think the concern being raised is accountability for results. Public service is challenging, especially in Nunavut, but that doesn’t mean questions about performance, spending, project outcomes, or leadership decisions should be off limits. Respect for public servants and accountability can exist at the same time.
Whether a comment is anonymous or signed doesn’t really change the underlying issue being discussed. People may have different reasons for protecting their identity, especially in a small territory where professional and personal relationships often overlap. The focus should be on the concerns being raised and whether they have merit, not solely on who is raising them.
Kate D, you should probably abstain from lecturing Nunavummiut about how they express their frustration, anger, disappointment, and disenfranchisement. You don’t need to be Socrates to express that. Also, the idea that not publicly stating one’s name in some way diminishes the value or credibility of their messages or comments is disingenuous. Many who comment or write here, elsewhere, on social media, etc,.. do so anonymously because the repercussions of speaking out on specific issues, could and most probably would, cost them their livelihoods. As you yourself said, Nunavut is a small place (in relative terms not geographical). The results of saying what is on one’s mind could have certain consequences. especially when it does not fit the Governments narrative.
When you read the comments in Nunatsiaq News you clearly understand that (not all) but a great deal of the people commenting are doing so from a position of first-hand knowledge and direct connection to the subjects being discussed in the articles. In fact, you yourself use only part of your name. Is there a reason for that? Probably. But it doesn’t matter. You said what you wanted to say and tried to make your point regarding it. The fact you did not give your full name does not diminish the value of your thoughts or opinion on the matter.
As for your attempt to say that criticism is not part of the job, or should be reserved for those “in the know”; well that is just not correct. Public Service and high-profile public services brings exactly that. You are correct it is a tough job and often people doing it do not get the recognition they deserve. However, in the case of NHC and Mr. Devereaux that last 4 years + have been a mess and especially the last two years have shown him irrefutably deflecting, gaslighting and misrepresenting the success of NU 3000 and that ridiculous Sole Source Contract with NCCD or NCC 3000 or whatever! These have occurred and been captured on tapes in the LEG Sessions, in media interviews, at trade shows, in the AG Report, in televised committee hearings etc. etc, etc… They have been documented over and over again. Not hearsay, not rumors, not conspiracy theories. FACTS. Hence when people or the media speak out about this or “cover it” they do so with an eye towards what has been said vs. what has been done. Hence in this particular case the criticism that has poured out in the media, in comment section and on social media are more than justified.
Nunavummiut, like all other Canadians, have a right to expect their Politicians and high level Bureaucrats to deliver. To be accountable. If they do not or are not. They should be more than prepared to hear about it. Everywhere and every way!
Every time I read about a DM/ADM shuffle, I can’t help but reminisce in my mind about all the craziness that’s gone on since 1999 with good people shown the door for bad faith arbitrary reasons, and incompetent people kept on and/or shuffled around also for illegitimate reasons. Looks like this is just more of the same.
Come on it’s right in front of you why talk around it Premier Main is putting hundreds of millions into Arviat, and not one MLA has picked up on it even the mayors are sitting saying nothing, and I would do the same if I was there loot the till, he is finance minister, shuffle deverau into a dept good for Main and Arviat
Never heard of him……
Where is the Aluki report?
I had high expectation with PJ as Premier to actually increase Inuit employment, however Inuit employment levels went lower towards the end of his tenure and now Premier Main I expect even less with next to no Inuit in the Deputy Minister, so the trend will probably not change.
Expectation set low that way I will hopefully I will get a nice surprise.
I agree that increasing Inuit representation in senior leadership is important. I also believe these positions should be filled by the most qualified candidates based on education, experience, leadership ability, and proven results. The goal shouldn’t be representation or qualifications—it should be representation AND qualifications.
First time ever a non inuk environment DM
This sure brings home the need for an Inuk to be premier as a white guy will never understand our expectations. It’s too bad we have the all time low standards of MLAs who can’t even come up with competent questions for an hour. Nunavut sure has gone down here so fast.
I too had high hopes for PJ, unfortunately his true self showed us he is just another politician who cares more about himself, his image and everything else is secondary.
He did such a terrible job as Premier, more photo ops in southern Canada, it really seems like he would prefer to live in the south than his own home territory.
He knew he would now get re-elected and by chance he did get elected he would no be Premier or Minister, he lost credibility and support.
Surprising to see him in Ottawa I guess it’s who you know, just like Aluki as President of ICC, terrible politicians getting rewarded, crazy.
I am continually amazed how much significance we put on who is running which Nunavut department.
Why do people have any expectation that changing a bunch of senior civil servants will make any difference?
These guys apply policy. That is it.
History has not proven anyone correct in this regard. For the past quarter of a century since Nunavut was created, the relative size and make up of the Nunavut departments has not changed proportionately within the civil service no matter which administrators have been in charge.
GN departments have only changed incrementally based on inflation and the population top ups that the feds give us in the territorial finance formula.
Every Deputy Minister we have ever had has simply continued on with a very slight variation of what was being done before.
No. Deputy Ministers do not create the fundamental change that Nunavummuit crave. They are castle keepers.
The real change in our government can only come from our elected officials. If our elected officials cannot generate the change we need, we need to boot them out and get someone in there that will do what we want. We need to tell the next batch of MLAs what we want and only elect those capable of delivering it, instead of settling for platitudes that we do today.
If changing a DM or two did make a difference in the type and quality of public services, I would be more worried that these guys are operating with too much discretion.
When we focus on DMs, it is like we accept that our Ministers and MLAs are not really doing their jobs.
@ Avram, your analysis and argument is slightly off. Delivery of service and efficient management of departments is the responsibility of the DM’s, ADM’s and senior bureaucrats. Your attempt to deflect accountability away from them is absurd. The simple fact in Nunavut is the following. The vast majority of people elected to serve and then to act as Cabinet Ministers have been grossly underqualified. This has meant that individuals acting in non-elected positions have been given enormous amounts of runway in regard to policy, goals and objectives and ultimately in the delivery of services. They would be the DM’s. Some points to consider:
A) How many currently serving DM’s have University or College degrees or certificates? All of them. Thats ALL of them. So, what has been the root cause of departments operational failures? The hiring of DM & ADM’s has been poor. Have there been good DM’s and ADM? Absolutely. Have there been more good than poor ones? Absolutely NOT! Has there been too much shuffling and retention of non-performing DM’s? Absolutely. The principle in Nunavut as demonstrated egregiously last week by the PM is shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, instead of find better, find better, find better.
B) Have the majority of politicians elected and then appointed as Cabinet Ministers been qualified for their portfolios? Absolutely NOT. How many currently serving have University degrees? Its two. Yeah two! (there are an additional two with some level of college or college certificates and one is the speaker). How many of them have direct knowledge and involvement from their previous professional careers in the portfolios they are currently managing. Its four. Yeah, four out of nine positions (this doesn’t include professional politicians like D. Akeeagok).
So, when you attempt to state or argue that Nunavummiut should be looking soley and uniquely at the politicians for Nunavut’s failures over the last 25+; you are only partially correct. It is abundantly clear that the underqualified politicians have looked to the qualified DM’s and ADMs for direction, guidance and policy. It is ignorant to think for one second that DM’s do not play an integral role in developing policy. Yeah, yeah, I know, the DM’s and politicians will all scream and yell it’s not true, but that is just smoke because; 1) The politicians don’t want the people to think bureaucrats make policy because well then why would people need politicians and 2) The DM’s get to use a “get out of jail free” card to claim it’s not their fault when policy fails. So, it is in ALL of their interest to deny this.
That should help respond to your final statement which clarifies that it is in fact both the politicians and DM’s who have been letting Nunavummiut’s down for the last 25 years. Unfortunately, Nunavummiut have not to date, started to push back hard enough to evoke and bring about the needed changes to move Nunavut forward in a progressive way.
Until that happens there will be plenty of blame to go around.
Thanks, Pob. What you say is pretty true. Good research too.
One additional note: what you say applies to every level of government and to every community in Canada; jn short, selfish ignorant voters electing selfish ignorant politicians who hire or appoint selfish, ignorant bureaucrats. It’s the Canadian way and helps to explain our steady decline as a nation and as a society on every file
We need two separate elections. First elect the MLAs and not allow the MLAs to pick the Premier. In the second election, the public should pick their premier from all the MLAs who want to do the job.
NHC/ Government narrative vs what the OAG found according to AI (which could be wrong they say in the small print) . Wonder what the reporting will look like at TIN. Minister Hickes may want to keep a close eye on this.
NHC
Nunavut 3000 Progress 855 units in the pipeline or completed, hailed as “on track”.
OAG
Only 18 public housing units had actually been completed from scratch and made move-in ready since the 2022 launch.
NHC
Contract Mobilization $600 million successfully invested in building contracts.
OAG
The NHC inflated its numbers by counting legacy projects started long before the Nunavut 3000 strategy existed.
NHC
“housing starts” as a valid metric for project momentum.
OAG
Counting building permits instead of occupancy permits created unrealistic timelines and masked severe delays.
NHC
LHO Restructuring “Aggressive restructuring” to eliminate local bottlenecks and improve oversight.
OAG
Total transparency failure. The NHC did not even know if publicly funded units were being allocated to the people who needed them most.
Can we have an update on the Aluki report? She also got a promotion to President of ICC for not producing.