‘Million-dollar photo op’: Nunavut premier grilled over elder vans
Proponent says it’s working on securing funds; no clear launch date yet
Premier P.J. Akeeagok takes questions Thursday in the Nunavut legislative assembly. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
The five elder mobility vans the Government of Nunavut bought last year are still not running.
Premier P.J. Akeeagok faced questions on three occasions at the legislative assembly Thursday from MLAs Joe Savikataaq and Alexander Sammurtok who wanted to know why, four months after announcing the $1-million purchase at Iqaluit’s Elders Qammaq and giving elders a ride in the new vans, they are still sitting parked.
“That’s sad to hear that they’re not in operation as they were delivered in the fall,” said Savikataaq, who represents Arviat South.
“It shouldn’t be a million-dollar photo op. These vans were purchased to be used by elders that we all agreed need them in their communities.”
Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung and Rankin Inlet are the five recipients of the vans.
Sammurtok asked whether Rankin Inlet’s van has arrived yet in the community.
“No one in Rankin Inlet has seen the new elder van,” he said, to which Akeeagok replied the vans have arrived in all the hamlets that were to receive them.
When the purchase was announced, the GN identified Northern Future Skills Development, in partnership with Arctic Training Ltd. and Caribou Cabs, as the proponents of the project.
At the time, Akeeagok said the GN was working with the proponents to secure operational funding, possibly with help from the federal government.
He did not have any updates to provide Thursday.
“To my understanding, the proponent has had submissions to the federal government and other potential partners to secure the operations and the maintenance of the elder vans,” Akeeagok said.
Speaking to reporters, Savikataaq criticized the government’s approach to the project. He said when something is announced, it needs to come with a clear plan.
“When you ask a question and it is not answered, either they’re being evasive or they clearly do not know what the answer is,” Savikataaq said.
Premier P.J. Akeeagok, left, lends an arm to Martha Tikivik as the pair descend from a new elders van in Iqaluit last October. Four months after the pilot project was announced, the vans are still not in service. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Northern Future Skills Development is submitting proposals for funding, said Stephanie Boulet, the organization’s executive director.
She said a majority of the funding opportunities open in February and March.
“Once our proposals have been reviewed, we will be in a better position to establish a timeline for the operational launch of the vans,” she said in an email.
Boulet estimates the annual operating cost would be $800,000 to $900,000 per community.
The vans would operate 12 hours a day, seven days per week, with additional costs including staffing, insurance, maintenance and storage in a heated garage.
“Our ultimate goal is to offer free, reliable transportation to elders and non-ambulatory individuals, but to achieve this we must take a strategic and well-planned approach that anticipates potential challenges and ensures long-term viability,” she said.
“We appreciate the patience and support of our community and stakeholders and look forward to providing further updates as progress continues.”
So Nunavut.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤪🤪🤯🤯
True, PD; also true of pretty well every other government entity in Canada
Ah yes, another classic GN initiative—big announcement, big promises, and then… absolutely nothing. But don’t worry, they’re working on it! Just like they’ve been working on Inuit employment since 1999. Twenty-six years later, and we’re still waiting for GN to hit that magic 85% Inuit workforce goal. Maybe by the time the vans actually start running, they’ll have made some progress on hiring Inuit, but I won’t hold my breath.
Before anyone suggests that “Inuit need to be educated to become nurses and teachers,” let me clarify. There are numerous other positions available, such as assistants, finance officers, and contract coordinators. I ask you: how many Inuit hold positions in each department of the Government of Nunavut, such as policy, finance, or human resources? When was the last time an internship for a higher position, like HR Manager, Policy Analyst, was even advertised? Where are all those commitments you made during your campaign?
And speaking of politicians, let’s not pretend this is about holding GN accountable—Savikataaq, you were standing in the photo-op too not long ago when you had the Premiership, so don’t act like you’re above this. You’re a politician just like the Premier, playing the same game. At the end of the day, all of you forget the real reason you ran for office the moment you qualify for that GN pension. But sure, let’s keep pretending things will change while Elders wait for rides in parked vans and Inuit wait for jobs they’ll never be considered for.
“When was the last time an internship for a higher position, like HR Manager, Policy Analyst, was even advertised?”
Probly round the same time then they realized that internships don’t work and sometimes you just gotta get educated the ol fashioned way like everyone else🤣
My apologies for not being more specific in my original comment. When I said, “Before anyone suggests that Inuit need to be educated to become nurses and teachers,” I wasn’t dismissing the value of education—I was pointing out that many positions within the Government of Nunavut, such as Finance Officers, HR Managers, and Contract Coordinators, don’t require specialized degrees. A secondary diploma is often enough to qualify for these roles.
I’ve seen many Inuit excel in these positions over the years, yet when hiring for these fields, Article 23 is rarely applied—especially in Iqaluit. I don’t understand why this continues to be the case. Where is the commitment to increasing Inuit employment in all areas of government, not just frontline services?
Maybe in Iqaluit, but go check out the offices in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, you’ll find mostly Inuit Finance Officers. And that’s because the GN is willing to advertise these positions as needing high school only. Go check the requirements in any other Province/Territory, you’ll find you need a university level degree.
1. Anywhere else in Canada and the world, those positions do require post-secondary degrees.
2. Even with Article 23 applied to hiring, there literally are not enough Inuit applicants. Can’t get hired if you don’t apply
You really think that finance positions or any of the other jobs you mention dont require a formal education ? yes lets give someone a job managing money that doesnt understand numbers or someone who cant properly write a contract?
Those internships are not advertised because they are given without competition to the children of “prominent Nunavummiut”.
“Boulet estimates the annual operating cost would be $800,000 to $900,000 per community.”
Might as well just buy everyone new card at this point…….. a million bucks a year for a van how much they paying the driver ?! 😂
^car not card
This is a new low in Nunavut. The use of elders as a photo op for a non existent program. Giving our most vulnerable an empty promise is as bad as one can go. Fellow Nunavut citizens remember this in October.
come on! This is great news. Let’s pull together.
Cambridge Bay has had a wheelchair-usable van for years, and over half the time it isn’t available because because of lack of driver or, during winter, it won’t start because it isn’t in a garage or plugged in.
This ends up being another example of the GN making a big splash spending money on something without finding out if the needed infrastructure is in place to support it, or setting up that infrastructure to make sure it’s supported. They just dump it on the community and then wash their hands of it.
Earlier this year I needed to find transportation in Iqaluit for someone with a disability – and I was willing to pay. I tried the City ambulance services, who refused to come unless authorized by QGH. QGH flat out said no. I called Caribou Cabs and I was told they didn’t have a wheelchair vehicle. The only service to respond was the Iqaluit Elders Society who said yes right away – at no cost.
The Society has funded and operated a van for Elders in the City for more than 10 years. If anyone deserves $1M it should be the not-for-profit who already deliver the service.
Why did a free van go to someone else, and why isn’t it operational?
That was by far the most exceptional photo opportunity of all time. Nallina elder, I hope she received fair compensation for her role; that’s another form of elder abuse. Fortunately, it is now very apparent that the photo opportunities during news announcements have significantly declined since then. Thankfully, this issue has finally garnered the leaders’ attention. Nunavut requires a genuine leader. As the saying goes, “pictures don’t do justice,” so no more misleading Nunavummiu with posed photos. October is approaching quickly, marking the time for a new cabinet and new MLAs. Whooptidooooo! Several individuals are already campaigning, so it is essential to work harder to regain positions.