Jimi Onalik, a longtime Government of Nunavut public servant, is starting a new role as president of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency in November. (File photo)
Former GN staffer appointed president of CanNor
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency helps northerners develop resources, economies
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency has a new president — longtime Government of Nunavut staffer Jimi Onalik.
The federal government announced the appointment Oct. 27.
Onalik is stepping down from his role with the GN as deputy minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs and secretary to cabinet. He starts his new federal position on Nov. 20.
CanNor is a northern economic development arm of the federal government that works with northern and Indigenous leaders, organizations and people developing resources and local economies.
Onalik has worn many hats during his time at the GN. Prior to his time with Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, he was deputy minister of Economic Development and associate deputy minister for COVID-19 response in 2020.
He has held other various administrative and departmental positions within the GN going back to 2017 when he was first hired as transportation policy adviser for the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
Also on Oct. 27, the GN announced Anna Fowler has replaced Onalik as deputy minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs effective immediately.
Fowler spent the past year as the department’s associate deputy minister and deputy secretary to cabinet, supporting Onalik.
Great guy, strong leader. But not a “…longtime Government of Nunavut staffer…”. He has only been with the GN for six years. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2023/10/27/jimi-onalik
That is 20% of most careers. By any measure that is ‘long term’, particularly by GN standards with the incredible turnover rate.
Latest published numbers are for 2020-21, showing the GN public service has an average length of service of 9.65 years.
https://gov.nu.ca/sites/default/files/psar_2020-21_-_eng_-_final.pdf
page 8 of the report, page 10 of the PDF
Does it give the median? That would be much more interesting.
Fair question, not directly answered. There is only enough data to say between 5 & 10 years, but likely much closer to 10. (doc page 17, PDF page 19)
35% have 11 or more years of service,
24% have five to 10 years of service and
40% employees have five or fewer years
Top third have 11 or more years, that would be a safe number for “longtime [GN] staffer”
The average might be significantly influenced by the 1,000-1,500 vacancies in the GN.
Pedantic, but the logic that 6 years isn’t long term because many/others have worked the same or longer doesn’t work out. You can say 6 years in itself is either long term or not, and that everyone who has worked 6 years or more can all be either considered long term or not. To say it is or isn’t long term just because others have done it is simply information on the person and others. You could maybe qualify the description with “relatively long term”, but that isn’t the point. If 6 years is considered long term, than anyone who has worked 6 years can rightly be considered a long term, regardless of how many of them they happen to be. Otherwise you’ll just have one person who has worked the longest (say 30 years) able to say the term only applies to them (sorry to all the temps who have worked only 25). You can’t dismiss someone as not being long term just because others have also worked that amount of time. The time period itself is what must be determined as meriting the description of ‘long’ or not.
Long-term is a relative expression. The logic isn’t because MAMY others have worked longer, is that MOST gn staffers have worked longer.
Long-term is a relative expression. The logic isn’t because MANY others have worked longer, is that MOST gn staffers have worked longer.
I believe he may have had an earlier chapter to his GN career, maybe in Paul Okalik’s first government. And also in the Office of the Interim Commissioner back in the 1990s. True that “longtime” does imply continuous service.
He was owner and president of Unaalik Aviation in those days.
We could surely use his airline today, but unfortunately it went bankrupt. Let’s hope learned from that experience and makes every business successful up here.
Longtime is 15 years or more with the same company or whatever y’all doing 😂
My hope is that Anna Fowler will do a better job with EIA than what Jimi did!!
I don’t know how some people keep getting these types of high level jobs when they don’t produce anything.
This guy is all hot air, no substance, yet he keeps getting these positions. Let’s see how long he last and I’m sure he will move to yet another position in a couple years.
Good luck in your new position Jimi.
How about good job CANOR for appointing an Inuk, a person that grew up in Nunavut! I am happy for Jimi!
Are we sure he’s staying in Iqaluit and not relocating to Ottawa? Can Nor (in)famously hasn’t always had their leadership based in the North.
Jimi and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but I was proud to see him running the Public Service. Local boy did good.
Good luck with your future endeavors Jimi.
He is a strong man with hopes of making changes that will benefit his people and hopefully bring Nunavut with all its capabilities to the federal government and Canadian southerners
Hey Jimi,
How about using your new position to get a coffe shop opened in every community in the north.
I’m talking about one that stays open late every night and that does not sell alcohol. One that provides community residents with a place to be with other, without drinking. Perhaps with live music. Maybe sells healthy food at reasonable prices. They need seats, so people do not have to stand. Perhaps they might stay open all night, serving as a substitute for a drop-in shelter.
.
They may, or may not be profitable. But think of what they could contribute from the reduced violence, incarceration, suicide. Consider the impact on health care and medivacs. And they create local jobs.