Iqaluit wants to graduate to city status

MICHAELA RODRIGUE

IQALUIT — In just six months Iqaluit may shed its status as a town and take on the status of city.

It won’t give the municipality any new powers or responsibilities, but Jack Anawak, Nunavut’s community government minister, is preparing to turn the territory’s capital town into a capital city.

Anawak publicized his plans to change the town’s status in Nunavut newspapers last week. It is in response to a request filed by the Town of Iqaluit with the former Office of the Interim Commissioner.

The name change is largely “symbolic,” admits Coun. Matthew Spence. But he said the change will bring Iqaluit in line with other Canadian capitals.

“It’s in keeping with Iqaluit being the capital and we need to distinguish between it and the other communities in the territory,” Spence said. “We want to make Iqaluit a little more unique. There’s going to be a perception within peoples’ minds that we’re a little bit more important.”

Iqaluit is the newest member of the Canadian Capital Cities Organization. But it’s current status of town isn’t a great fit with the organization, Spence said.

“It’s a little difficult for them to suggest a name change to the organization because we’re not a city, we’re a town,” Spence said.

Residents, and anyone else with concerns, has 180 days from the date of Anawak’s notice to raise any questions or concerns.

Once the official period of public notice is up, Anawak will weigh any response and make a final decision, said David Akeeagok, director of policy for the department of Community Government and Transportation.

“That’s the reason for the public notice, is to find out what the feeling is within the town and its residents and that will impact on the minister’s decision,” Akeeagok said. The government is also notifying residents through the radio and direct mail.

Whether Iqalungmiut will find any fault with the planned change of status is not known. Iqaluit’s town council has endorsed the change and Spence says he can’t think of any reason to halt the process.

“People are in agreement that it’s in keeping with our status being a capital. It’s very difficult for me to think of any reason why people would suggest that it shouldn’t happen,” he said, adding the change is mainly symbolic.

In fact, because Iqaluit’s municipal government would still derive its powers from the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, it would gain no new powers or responsibilities.

“In terms of laws and their duties, nothing will change. It’s just a name change. It won’t mean they have a bigger mandate,” he said.

The government of Nunavut does not expect the switch will cost any money except for advertising, and the municipality would have to cover the costs of new letterhead.

Iqaluit is Nunavut’s only town. There is no minimum population required to become a city. But the assessed value of properties in the municipality must exceed $200 million.

Should Anawak decide to grant city status after 180 days, he will draft a ministerial order that must be approved by cabinet, Akeeagok said. The minister and town council would then have to agree on a date for the new status to take effect.

Yellowknife was also renamed as a city after it became capital of the Northwest Territories. At the time Yellowknife attained city status it had a population of about 6,000.

Iqaluit currently has about 5,000 residents.