Inuit firm stuck waiting for appeal

DENISE RIDEOUT

IQALUIT — It’s been five months now and one of Nunavut’s largest Inuit-owned corporations is still waiting to appeal its loss of a government contract.

Nunasi Corp. has hit a brick wall.

There’s simply no appeals board to hear its complaints, and it may be months before the territorial government and NTI set one up.

“NTI and the GN can’t agree on the terms of reference (for the appeals board) and in the meantime here we sit waiting for something to happen,” said Joe Enook, vice-president of Nunasi.

Under the Nunavut government’s contracting policy – called Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti, or NNI — Nunavut-based and Inuit-owned companies bidding on GN contracts get a competitive advantage over other firms.

Last fall, Nunasi Environmental, a subsidiary of Nunasi, lost a bid on a contract for the disposal of hazardous waste in Nunavut to a Yellowknife-based company.

In February, Nunasi decided to appeal the bid.

“We are doing this on two principles,” Enook said. “One, because we felt we had every right to win that contract. Secondly, and more importantly, if we don’t appeal it means we are giving up on behalf of Inuit firms.

“We thought that if a big Inuit-owned firm like Nunasi can’t win contracts, then it must be very, very difficult for small Inuit-owned businesses.”

Nunasi’s appeal hasn’t gone far. Enook has written letters to the GN and NTI trying to find out when they’ll set up the appeals board, but both organizations say they don’t agree on how it will work.

“We thought that if a big Inuit-owned firm like Nunasi can’t win contracts, then it must be very, very difficult for small Inuit-owned businesses.”

— Joe Enook, Nunasi

“It’s frustrating,” Enook said, sighing.

“Both parties know it’s for the benefit of Nunavummiut, and this whole NNI policy was for the betterment of Nunavummiut and Nunavut businesses and Inuit-owned firms. Yet it’s become a huge stumbling block.”

Like NTI, Nunasi is displeased that the GN will hear appeals on only two bases: whether the bid was calculated correctly, and if the business’ status as a northern, Inuit or local firm was determined properly.

“The problem became a big issue when the GN came out with a narrow, narrow scope of the NNI,” Enook said.

With NTI and the Nunavut government butting heads over the appeals process, Enook said Nunasi is stuck in a waiting game.

But the corporation still wants to go forward with the appeal.

While the bid it lost was small — about $30,000 — Enook said Nunasi isn’t dropping its complaint.

“I could turn around and say, ‘Forget it,’ because $30,000 is $30,000. But Nunasi decided that, more than anything else, we’re going to appeal this on principle. And the principle is that we have the NNI policy and it should be made to work.”