Mayors urge Okalik to lobby Ottawa

IQALUIT — The Nunavut Association of Municipalities is calling on Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik to put more effort into lobbying Ottawa for municipal infrastructure money.

In a press release issued this week, the association said the amount of money the federal government gives Nunavut under the Canada Infrastructure program is “grossly inadequate.”

That’s because contributions under the program are calculated across the country on a per capita basis. Because Nunavut has a small population, Nunavut gets far less infrastructure money than it needs.

“A recent report by the Conference Board of Canada has indicated that the state of Nunavut’s infrastructure is a serious problem, and is negatively impacting both economic and social development,” the association said in its press release.

The association’s vice-president, Keith Peterson, said Nunavut communities have waited far too long for help in paying for infrastructure.

“I believe the government of Nunavut needs to be far more aggressive in ensuring Ottawa responds to our needs,” Peterson said.