Fed-up Iqalungmiut want community to pitch in

DENISE RIDEOUT

IQALUIT — Iqaluit residents fed up with pothole-covered roads and unsafe driving conditions are trying to fix the mess themselves.

About 35 Iqaluit residents gathered at Anglican parish hall last Saturday and said they’re tired of waiting for the city and the union representing its municipal workers to resolve their contract dispute.

Residents said they’re ready to go out with shovels to fill the potholes themselves. They also said they’ll walk alongside contracted road-graders to make sure the drivers aren’t harassed by union workers.

Last week, union members surrounded an R.L. Hanson employee while he attempted to work on the roads. The firm had a contract to do road repair work long before the strike began.

The city’s streets have turned into a mix of bone-jarring potholes and giant puddles ever since city management locked out its 80 municipal employees, including workers who do road work.

Iqaluit resident Natsiq Kango organized Saturday’s meeting to get people to talk about their concerns and to come up with ways of tackling the problems.

She said the roads have to be fixed up before there’s a serious accident, such as a school bus flipping over.

“We don’t want anything bad to happen in our community,” Kango said, her voice shaking.

Kango said she felt she had to do something for the people of Iqaluit, just as other Iqaluit leaders have in the past.

“I know Dad [the late Simonie Alainga] would do something about this situation,” she said. “I wish Ben Ell was here. He would have done something about this dispute.”

Road, garbage problems

Many others at the public meeting echoed Kango’s concerns about public safety.

“The roads are not safe to drive on,” one woman said. “it’s like we’re waiting for some tragedy to happen.”

Several elders, speaking in Inuktitut, said the bumpy ride makes it difficult for them to get around town.

Some people, including Kango and Mary Alainga, volunteered to pick up shovels and start filling in the potholes.

Others suggested the city look into bringing up a road-maintenance crew from the South to pave the roads.

Garbage was also much on people’s minds.

There’s been no garbage pick-up ever since the city called the lockout. People have been piling up garbage bags both inside and outside their homes.

“This is getting disgusting,” one resident said. “When things melt everything is going to stink.”

Kango said she will request that city management unlock the dump at certain times to allow residents to get rid of their garbage.

No immediate plan-of-action came out of Saturday’s meeting. For now, Kango is forwarding the public’s recommendations to the city and to union members.