Inukjuak mayor back at work

INUKJUAK — Shaomik Inukpuk, the mayor of Inukjuak, surfaced to greet a group of visiting officials from Québec City last week. It was the first the community had seen of its mayor in weeks.

Inukjuak was left virtually mayor-less just before Christmas, when municipal council suspended Inukpuk for one month after a week-long booze binge in Montreal.

“The council was embarrassed by his behaviour,” said a resident of Inukjuak.

Inukpuk was elected mayor in early November. Among his campaign promises to young voters was a vow to bring a bar to Inukjuak.

Although he became the subject of a browbeating on the community radio network last week, Inukpuk remained unrepentant and reportedly thanked the council for the break from work.

He attributed council’s reaction to “politics” and said he has no intention of apologizing or resigning.

“They were misinformed,” Inukpuk said.