Iqaluit’s new CAO says community engagement, teamwork are priorities
Steve England comes to Iqaluit after 17 years in Arviat including 10 as hamlet’s top administrator
Steve England is Iqaluit’s new chief administrative officer. He spent the past 17 years working in Arviat, with 10 of those as the hamlet’s top administrator. “I look forward to jumping in and helping with the team,” England said. (Photo by David Lochead)
Iqaluit has found its new chief administrative officer.
Steve England comes to the city after working in Arviat for the past 17 years, including 10 years as senior administrative officer for the hamlet.
England started on the job last week.
“I’m excited to be here,” he said.
He takes over from previous Iqaluit CAO Amy Elgersma, who left last November, and Rod Mugford, the city’s chief enforcement officer who had been acting CAO following Elgersma’s departure.
England said he moved to Iqaluit because he wanted to try something new.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but one for our family,” he said of his wife and two children, adding it was important to him to stay in Nunavut.
As for the reason he wanted to stay in the territory?
“Absolutely the people,” England said.
He said the challenges of the job will be similar to those he faced in Arviat, but on a larger scale. England moves from being the top administrator in Arviat, a community of about 2,600 people, to Iqaluit where the population is closer to 8,000.
With less than a week on the job, England said he is still getting caught up by staff on important files, such as water infrastructure.
“I look forward to jumping in and helping with the team,” he said.
England said his experience may have been a factor in him landing the job, considering his time working in administrative roles in Arviat.
Teamwork and working with the community are two things England said he likes to focus on as the top administrator.
“That’s probably my strength, and I look forward to doing it here as well,” he said.
“The biggest thing is when you do have success, you know you’re providing a solution for a better quality of life for residents.”
You found a good one.
Arviat lost the best ?thank you for all your hard work Mr. England! All the best for you and your family. Iqalummiut treat him well as he is the most hard working guy who plays fair and square! The City is so lucky to have him!
Mr England’s recent appointment brings a wealth of experience and a strong focus on community honed over his ten-year tenure as Arviat’s top administrator. As England takes on the larger challenges of managing Iqaluit, it’s crucial that he receives significant support from the Mayor, council, and the community. This coupled with a counsel that will to buckle down and deal with real issues and come prepared to address them. Mr England could be the best thing to happen to the City in a long time, if council does not throw this opportunity down the drain.
I’m happy to hear your here and hope things work out well to get busy to tackle our issues,
Alot of respective if you show yours as well welcome aboard the Island
I’m proud of you Steve England. Can’t wait to see you get to work.
Way to go Steve!! I am so proud of you and your accomplishments! I remember when I first visited Artist, you picked me up at the airport and took me out for ride around the community we even looked for polar bears. So glad the people of Nunavut love you – that was easy!!!! A hometown boy makes it big!!!All the best in your future endeavours in Iqaluit!!
Steve England is a hardworker, applys to lots of funding, and will create lots of oppourtunities for youth in Iqaluimuit. Excited to have him in Iqaluit!
Come back! 🙂
Make iqaluit great again
I pray that Steve’s appointment will prove beneficial for the Municipality, him and his family.
Trader lol hey Steve good luck on your new role
Let’s hope baffin people can understand his Arviat dialect.
Give him the resources, the support and some time. He’ll get the job done.
Iqaluimmiut – exactly why I hate going to Iqaluit or any Baffin community. do you have a problem with Inuit and non-Inuit from Arviat or any other community from the Kivalliq? Always been and always will be Baffin people looking down on people from the other regions. SAD and disgusting!
He’s from the ROCK he’ll fit right in along with his fellow islanders
It’s time to pull-out the various contract under Dept. of ED&T i.e. CEDO positions across the territory as it does NOT reflect sustainable to economic development. This needs to be pulled out of skunk works with Municipal Government. This develops minimum wage and impossible to hire certified EDO’s in the position. The Municipalities just appear to used up funds from admin. fee, office rental, office supplies, computer, travel, and other unnecessary expenses under Municipal operations, which is certainly abusing financial old system dates back 20 years, and up to date. This is right under the NOSE of ED&T executive directors just to make their JOB look busy i.e. social economic development plans. This just collects dust and pull-on shelves!
This is kind of corrupt don’t you think? Just a thought!
The Department of Economic Development & Transportation deal with same budget annually; none improved to reflect high costs of infrastructure programs and services in remote areas from shipping to freights etc… under their NOSE. This is same; none improved! Same topic same subject! Sit back and listen!
CEDOs play an instrumental role here by offering support to local entrepreneurs, assisting in securing financing, providing access to training, and creating a conducive environment for the growth of small enterprises. EDOs also promote traditional Inuit economic activities and the incorporation of these into the broader local economy.
The fact that the budget for municipal EDOs and ED&T has not changed in 12+ years is a serious concern. It’s crucial to recognize that with rising operational costs and inflation, a stagnant budget may lead to reduced effectiveness of these positions and employee turn over.
While the hiring of certified CEDOs may be challenging due to budgetary constraints, housing, and competing against GN & Federal government for the same talent pool most CEDOs participate in training and professional development year round.
Rather than pulling out contracts under the ED&T, it would be more beneficial to adapt and modernize the role of CEDOs and their strategies in Nunavut. By focusing on local business development, workforce development , efficient use of resources, and practical planning, CEDOs can help foster sustainable economic growth even within the constraints of a stagnant budget.
The Department of Economic Development & Transport contracts may be transparent through Municipal Governments (Hamlets). However, once funds are under CAO’s admin. (system) is it abused by senior managements. The Chief Administrative Officer can make-up numbers to influence financial operations. This is on-going, and auditors are quite aware of this including ED&T Regional Offices. Notice CEDO Budgets under Hamlet funds:
– Admin. Fee *****
– Office Rental *****
– Office Supply
– Internet/ Phone
– Travel
This is make-up numbers just to cover Municipal Affairs financial operations. This is crooked business or considered corrupt? Oh, yeah that’s right sit back and weigh on pension. Notice the trend? It’s time for changes with ED&T – Executives that cannot bare to changed old habits to improved Socio-Economic Development and Infrastructure in remote Municipalities on behalf of CEDO’s. CEDO contracts should be pulled-out of Municipalities!
Good point! Contracts Not Perfect But Better Then Nothing!?! This is crooked business? Well thought and express!
The line items you mention, such as administration fees, office rental, office supplies, internet/phone, and travel, are generally considered “core costs” or operational expenses. These are the basic expenses that any organization incurs in order to function on a day-to-day basis. In this context, the municipalities, the GN, and indeed all institutions, have these types of costs.
It’s important to understand that these expenses are not “made-up numbers”, but are actual costs necessary for the operation of the departments and the provision of services. Keeping the lights on, maintaining office spaces, providing internet and phone connectivity, supplying the office, and facilitating necessary travel are all critical to the functioning of any office, including municipal governments.
Corruption implies illicit activity for personal gain, and while it’s crucial to ensure public funds are used responsibly and transparently, labelling core costs as “crooked business” might be a misunderstanding of the nature of operational expenses.
The Municipal Government can easily mismanage financial funds reflect on various contracts submitted from various GN Departments. With being transparent i.e. easy access to Municipal day-to-day financial operations CAO can easily move around funds and manipulate with Hamlet operations such as, Municipal operational costs (key)?
This can easily be granted as crooked business to access salary raised of senior management (CAO). You’ve notice past years, and present Municipal Hamlet financial operations been mismanaged time after time with crooked interns running financial admin. This in NOT new, and will continue to manipulate old habits of business to conflict of interest, salary increase of contract funds, over charging of contract funds under Hamlet administration just to gain income, and seek alternate weaknesses and opportunities to gain crooked business! This sounds about right?
I understand your concerns about potential mismanagement of funds by the Municipal Government, particularly regarding the role of CAOs. However, it’s crucial to note that without concrete evidence, such allegations can veer towards being slanderous. Claims of malfeasance should be substantiated before making public accusations; it’s a serious matter that can harm reputations and confidence in public institutions.
CEDOs don’t typically oversee the financial activities you’re describing. Their role is usually related to the coordination and implementation of economic development initiatives and strategies, rather than financial management at the municipal level. Therefore, such allegations don’t seem related to their functions.
Responsibility for overseeing the actions of CAOs falls on the Municipal Council. Council members, as elected officials, set the policies and budgets that guide the CAO’s operations. If there are concerns about a CAO’s actions, they should be directed to the council, who have the authority to address such matters.
If you suspect malpractice or unethical behavior, it’s crucial to present your concerns to your local council with facts, evidence, or at least specific instances that have raised your suspicions. Blanket statements asserting potential misuse of funds, without concrete evidence, can distort the conversation and may not constructively contribute to the discourse around the news article at hand. Let’s maintain a respectful and fact-based dialogue that contributes to improving our municipal institutions.
The elected councils and mayor is at least required to have training on regular basis as public service i.e. roles and responsibility, fair practices, avoid conflict of interests, public notices (regular basis), community planning/infrastructure, training, programs and services, socio-economic development, rec. programs/ workshops, recycle/environment, open dialogue (communication), friendly environment etc. This should be part of the Municipal day-to-day Municipal affairs to develop programs, or services to develop infrastructure etc.
This develops to respectful and fact based dialogue that hope to be coordinated and administered on behalf of the elected members that may perhaps to develop, or improved municipalities in remote communities. What do you think?
This entails op to just pull-out of the Municipal government affairs drama/ circus, which shouldn’t involve between unstable elected councils/ mayor, or intern CAOs that appear to take on personal agenda to mix-in (trash) that shouldn’t be part of day-to-day operations. Just pull out Dept. of ED&T contracts from municipal government to avoid unstable financial functions or elected members/ intern CAOs.
This falls under Dept. of ED&T executives who appear to have difficult time to positive changes but continue to lean backwards. What do you think? Do you notice changed?
Well, here’s one response reference to look-up on index for oxford dummies definitions. Things to look for reference to administration/ municipal government day-to-day operations:
a. conflict of interests (signs?)
b. CAO admin. (contracts, funds, finance, or admin. fees?)
c. elected councils (conflict of interests/ micro-management?)
d. municipal day-to-day-operations?
e. train the trainer (staff, councils etc.) roles & responsibility?
Municipal government are public service NOT dictators, and councils are elected by Public (to represent on behalf of elected community not personal affairs that is not part of day-to-day municipal affairs). The role is to serve and fulfil Municipal infrastructure, socio-economic development, programs and services etc.