Minister apologizes for release of fire report

A stoic Iqaluit fire chief, Cory Chegwyn, looked on as Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo directed questions about the fire marshal’s report on the Joamie School fire to Community and Government Services Minister Peter Kilabuk in the legislative assembly on Monday.

Tootoo expressed his disappointment with the handling of the report in a member’s statement at the opening of the session. He later asked the minister to describe the process that allowed the media to view the report before Iqaluit’s fire chief saw it.

Kilabuk said senior officials of the city reviewed the report before it was tabled, but admits that they did not have time to respond before the media broke the news.

“I apologize that the release was given to the city just before it was released through the media. They didn’t have enough time to scrutinize it.”

A meeting between the department, the mayor, and councillors was scheduled for Tuesday morning.