Jack Anawak commits to sobriety, preventing drunk driving at sentencing hearing
74-year-old former Nunavut politician to serve 6-month conditional sentence in community; banned from driving for 10 years
Jack Anawak, a former Nunavut politician, will serve a six-month conditional sentence followed by a year of probation for a 2023 impaired driving-related charge. (File photo)
Former longtime Nunavut politician Jack Anawak said he is committed to remaining sober and will speak about the dangers of drunk driving as he was sentenced Friday for a November 2023 impaired driving-related offence.
“I’d like to apologize to the people that I hurt,” Anawak, 74, said in an Iqaluit courtroom, appearing on videoconference from the Ottawa area.
He pleaded guilty in March 2024 to a single count of operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit of 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. A charge of impaired driving was withdrawn.
Justice Mia Manocchio gave Anawak a six-month conditional sentence to be served at home in Iqaluit, followed by one year of probation. He was also banned from driving for 10 years.
Veena Kumar, representing the Crown, read out the agreed statement of facts.
On the evening of Nov. 4, 2023 — two days after Anawak was sworn in as an Iqaluit city councillor — police were called to a motor vehicle crash in the city. There they found Anawak, in his SUV, had “rammed” into a pick-up truck and a house. Police found two other damaged vehicles at the scene, Kumar said.
Anawak admitted to drinking wine and was detained for suspected impaired driving. His blood-alcohol readings came back as 150 milligrams and 140 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood — both well above the 80-milligram legal limit.
After his arrest, Anawak resigned from city council. The RCMP announced the charge Nov. 7, 2023, in a news release.
Defence lawyer Craig Rogers outlined in court Friday some of the work Anawak has done to improve himself since his arrest.
He said Anawak has been sober since the night of the crash. Anawak worked with a therapist to discuss the trauma he went through, including residential school and the death of his wife, and spent two months in a treatment program in Manitoba.
Rogers spoke of the positive work Anawak has done for Nunavut as a whole, serving as Rankin Inlet mayor as well as being an MP, MLA and territorial cabinet minister.
“He accepts the responsibility for what happened,” Rogers said.
“He doesn’t deflect any blame to any other circumstances.”
Rogers and Kumar jointly submitted the sentence recommendation, which Manocchio accepted.
When called upon to speak in court, Anawak apologized for his actions and thanked his family and friends for supporting him. He said the incident prompted him to get help.
“It gave me the full opportunity to look through the traumas I went through,” he said.
“The impact of trauma stays with you for life, it’s how you deal with it that counts.”
Anawak said he remains committed to continuing with counselling. He plans to advocate for better mental health and trauma services in Nunavut, and to speak publicly about the dangers of impaired driving.
“It makes total sense to me, this kind of sentence,” Manocchio said.
Among the conditions she has imposed, Anawak must keep the peace, remain in Nunavut unless he has permission to leave, abstain from alcohol, complete 100 hours of community service, and follow a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.
Anawak is allowed to leave his house in Iqaluit to shop for groceries once a week and attend counselling as required.
“Good luck, Mr. Anawak,” Manocchio said.
This is Anawak’s third impaired driving-related conviction. He pleaded guilty to similar offences in 2013 and 2018, and was jailed 30 days for the second conviction.
this isnt even the first offense ?!?! he should be never allowed to operate motor vehicle again
In 10 years when Jack can drive again, he will be 84. Nunavut’s average life expectancy is 72.
those with money and power do get more leniency than those who don’t have money or who are in politics.
Double Standards don’t you think?
Shameful for him to receive what the judge gave him for his punishment.
Should have been sent to prison for at least 5 years for the emotional and materialistic goods he caused.
Negotiating reduced charges is a very common tactic among lawyers experienced in impaired driving law, and probation with treatment is a much more useful way to deal with alcohol abuse than jail.
How many times does this guy have to be charged before he gets a fitting sentence?
I am so sickened by this pathetic slap on the wrist and Anawak’s whiny claims to victimhood.
What kind of message are we sending in a town that is neck deep in alcoholic murder, misery and mayhem?
At the very least he should have permanently lost his driving license.
Enough already!
He’s being treated the same as every person convicted of similar offence! Addiction and trauma is terrible and evil! Not defending him but we all have our demons we are fighting! Consider yourself if you don’t have struggles
“He doesn’t deflect any blame” ??? What the hell was he doing when he and his lawyer continued to use the childhood trauma he experienced as an excuse for his behavior? This is the second time in recent times that this judge has been beyond lenient on a criminal before the courts. Do they have to kill someone on the streets before a drunk driver (3rd time in court before she recognizes the gravity of the problem we are experiencing in Nunavut? Where is our newly sworn Chief Justice on this? Why did the Crown fall for this comedy? Where is Justice Boychuk when we need him? Is the Chief Justice hiding him from hearing criminal cases where he takes the cases seriously? All should communicate with Boychuk that we need his help by not retiring yet. There is too much work needed yet in our justice system.
John WP Murphy; as you say, childhood drama. At close to 80, if he cannot heal, he never will. Slap in the wrist, shameful law of Nunavut. I have respect for many old guards who shaped Nunavut: Land Claims, Politics and other forms, but not for some old guards.
What a poor example. Of a leader. Take responsibility. For your failures. People can’t always use trauma. As an excuse.
How many lives have been. Negatively impacted by this persons abuse of alcohol.
His legacy of leader ship. Will be tarnished by this disease.
Totally agree with you and Jihn Murphy, Debert
On the one hand, Anawak states through his lawye thatc “He accepts the responsibility for what happened [and] he doesn’t deflect any blame to any other circumstances.”
THEN:
“Anawak worked with a therapist to discuss the trauma he went through, including residential school and the death of his wife”
Anawak is a leader because he actually stepped up. For that he deserves great credit. We deserve the leaders we get. If there were sober, thoughtful, insightful Inuit that wanted to work hard to make our lives better, perhaps they should have ran against him. Lord knows, they would have probably won, and Anawak’s recent conviction would not have been noteworthy in the least.
Unbelievable how many people seem to want this man behind bars. He’s a 72 year old nonviolent offender who has faced his fair share of struggles. 6 months of house-arrest fits the bill and there’s a very good chance he’s never driving again.
Non-violent by luck. On numerous occasions, he could have killed someone. His age has nothing to do with this, other than by then he should have known better than to be driving drunk.
One part of this that is troubling is that he appeared for his sentencing by zoom from Ottawa, and he wasn’t even there in person. It looks like the lawyers were so sure that the judge was going to go along with them and not give him jail that he didn’t even bother to show up. With him not being there, it would have been very difficult and awkward for the judge to send him to jail. Who would have taken him into custody and transported him up to the Iqaluit jail? That wouldn’t be workable. Maybe his lawyer knew in advance what the outcome would be and that’s why Mr. Anawak appeared by zoom. Either way, with him not being there, it was guaranteed that he would not be going to jail before the hearing even started and before the judge pronounced her decision. To me that’s a problem in terms of public perceptions of the justice system.
It called ” PLEA BARGAIN” , look it up.
Last I heard, judges aren’t forced to accept a sentence that’s negotiated as part of a “plea bargain”. You may want to look that up but that’s up to you…..
Our jails are overcrowded. They probably didn’t have any room for him, AND that’s how one might basically get away with a DUI charge. It should have been jail time. I thought after a first charge, it was automatic jail time. He got a month for the second one, so how did he not serve time for the third one?
I also thought, separate from this, that the RIDE program was supposed to be happening over the x-mas holidays. I didn’t see anything anywhere. I wonder if anyone actually got pulled over or charged. They can probably look forward to getting away with it too.
guess it takes running over someone …first . right?