MLA continues to push for more gravel in Chesterfield Inlet
Community and government services minister says his department is working with hamlet on application for gravel equipment
Rankin Inlet North – Chesterfield Inlet MLA Alexander Sammurtok, seen in this 2023 file photo, asked Tuesday at the legislative assembly for an update on Chesterfield Inlet’s application to get equipment to produce gravel. It is an issue he has stuck to for over a year. (File photo)
Alexander Sammurtok, the MLA for Rankin Inlet North—Chesterfield Inlet, continues to press the need for more gravel in Chesterfield Inlet.
At the legislative assembly Tuesday, Minister of Community and Government Services David Joanasie said his department is working with the hamlet to get the community the equipment it needs to produce gravel.
“It’s very important for our municipalities to address when they are maintaining their roads or continuing to build infrastructure,” Joanasie added about having gravel.
In Nunavut, gravel is used to provide the padding that homes are built on. It is also applied to roads and airstrips, and used in making cement.
Joanasie’s response came from a question on the matter from Sammurtok, who has been pressing the GN to get more gravel to Chesterfield Inlet for over a year.
The hamlet has applied to the GN’s granular crushing program, which was introduced last year.
The program is meant to work with communities to provide them the resources they need to produce gravel, Joanasie told Nunatsiaq News.
Those needs differ depending on the community, he added.
For Chesterfield Inlet, there is a need for equipment to crush rock into gravel, Joanasie said.
He added his department is working with the hamlet to help its application meet the granular program guidelines.
“Hopefully, over the short to medium term, Chesterfield will have a successful application,” he said.
When asked for a more specific timeline by Nunatsiaq News, Joanasie responded there is likely not enough time for Chesterfield Inlet to get granular equipment by the time for this year’s sealift.
Currently, Baker Lake is the only community that has been approved to receive equipment for granular crushing, Joanasie said in the legislature.
In terms of the problems of gravel shortages in communities, Joanasie told Nunatsiaq News, “it’s an ongoing issue, it’s nothing new.”
This is why his department has created the granular crushing program, he added.
It’s amazing what passes for newsworthy stories these days. A community wants more gravel. That pretty riveting stuff…..
It not about Iqaluit for sure this time, none news worthy are always in this paper, none news worthy of Iqaluit, I just want to let Nunavut, Iqaluit is not the center of Nunavut, it’s Baker Lake for those of you who don’t know, it fact BL is a center of Canada. How about that little community that got it.
Chesterfield Inlet is economically unviable.
Just pulled out Chester back to NWT with this unreluctant Territorial government. The services and infrastructures lacks to education. Just move back Chester to NWT! It was best established with alot more infrastructures focus on improving Municipal affairs and services! Thanks for notice in advance! Future shock with uneducated staffer’s to GN Executives to Cabinet Ministers to it’s flawed Deputy Ministers at all level’s! What’s the response???
The point here is to be more pro-active to address Municipal issues and services that lacks infrastructure’s with this current government! Editorial note – terms of the problems of gravel shortages in communities, Joanasie told Nunatsiaq News, “it’s an ongoing issue, it’s nothing new.”
This is why his department has created the granular crushing program, he added.
Speak-up as Cabinet Minister of CG&S, and pulled out those GN executives to conduct community visits on regular basis to meet face-to-face with Municipalities! What do you think of this idea???
This community has more history that you will ever have, or your community or your family, it’s a crappy world out there eh? Sorry to burst your bubble.
Even if what you said were true, it doesn’t change anything I’ve said. Chester is an economically unviable community, a virtual prison of despair for its residents.
That being said; notice the bank street in capital city of Ottawa? run down streets, and notice trash? this certainly is a despair with this government across the country! extreme high costs of rent’s to extreme mark-up food prices to low slums arrogance as this Future Shock comments!
Funny how people fulfill positions that they cannot and stuck in a bubble with this Future Shock!?!
Does your community fair any better? I don’t think so. drunk city Nunavut, even the city is trying to instigate a solution.
If the community approved of a mine they say they denied miners to work on, they wouldn’t be asking for support from GN. Oh well, it’s not my community. Let them rely on working from northern and co-op and hamlet. Some Inuit and their opposing ways of mining. I guess they’d rather be broke and rely on income support. Or a cheap paying job, or other GN jobs to fill.
Chesterfield Inlet – We need gravel
GN – Yes you do
Chesterfield Inlet – We need equipment to crush rock into gravel
GN – Yes you do
Chesterfield Inlet – We need money for the equipment
GN – We have a program for that. Fill out these papers.
Chesterfield Inlet – We filled out the papers, can we have the money now?
GN – You didn’t fill them out good enough. We will help you fill them out properly so then you will qualify for the money for the equipment that crushes rock into gravel.
Chesterfield Inlet – Thank you. We will get the equipment this year?
GN – No.
Just to add to that.
We will have to do a study on the gravel needs of Chesterfield Inlet.
Sorry the funds we had assigned for this was redirected to Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit.