Hamlet of Rankin Inlet keeps contract for adult group home
‘It’s good news,’ says mayor
Rankin Inlet Mayor Harry Towtongie, seen in a file photo at the Isaccie adult group home, says it’s good news that the hamlet will continue to run the facility on the Government of Nunavut’s behalf. (File photo)
The operations of the Isaccie adult group home in Rankin Inlet will stay with the hamlet for the next three years.
On Monday, officials from Hamlet of Rankin Inlet signed the final agreement for a service contract with the Government of Nunavut that’s worth roughly $2.4 million and 14 full- and part-time jobs to the community.
“It’s good news that it stays with the hamlet,” said Rankin Inlet Mayor Harry Towtongie. “And it’s good it will be run by the community.”
The adult group home provides care for seven people with developmental disabilities in the community of about 3,500.
The hamlet is keeping the contract for the group home it has run since 2015 because Shift, a Nova Scotia based company, withdrew its tender in April.
In 2015, the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet won a three-year contract to run the Isaccie home. The contract was extended several times, until 2021 when it went out to tender instead.
In March, the hamlet learned the Department of Community and Government Services had decided to award that tender to Shift, a company that runs other facilities for the GN in Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit.
Now that it’s back in the hands of the hamlet, Rankin Inlet’s councillors have passed a resolution to accept the new contract.
“We plan on running it as it was. We run a good operation,” said Rankin Inlet’s senior administrative officer Darren Flynn as he prepared to sign the final contract on Monday. “We’re happy to provide a service that’s needed.”
And rightfully so.
In the late 2000s, the Ontario government made plans to publicly procure two gas power plants. The tenders were won and plans were drafted up to construct the plans to meet the power needs of the province. Later, due to local opposition and the prospects of a looming election, the power plants were cancelled over political interference. This is known as the power plant scandal.
I like how our territory is so dysfunctional we will inevitably treat this as a heartwarming tale of sticking it to the world rather than the political scandal that it actually is.
I see the new hires at GN corrected themselves, learning curve for the revolving door of transient workers at the GN, little bit of faith restored in the contracting process, very little.
Congratulations to the hamlet of Rankin, glad the right folks are getting the contract.
This is such good news, congratulations to Hamlet of Rankin Inlet!