MNAs visit Nunavik

“Beau soleil, partout, partout, partout!” was how Michel Létourneau, member of Quebec’s national assembly for Ungava riding, described the bright, sunny weather that followed the legislative commission, La Commission des Institutions, last week during its tour through northern Quebec.

The commission’s members include Liberals, Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique MNAs.

Their tour included stops in Ouje-Bougoumou, Radisson and Kuujjuaq.

For all but Létourneau, who has visited Nunavik frequently, it was the first visit to northern Quebec.

“It didn’t just open their eyes, they literally fell out of their chairs. I speak a lot of the North, but when you’ve never been in the North, you can read all about it, but it’s not the same … they can’t imagine the space. ”

Létourneau said the commission heard slightly different messages, depending on where they were.

“The Jamesians [Québécois living in Radisson] and Cree were concerned about professional development and educational services. Some concerns were specific to Nunavik, such as taxes,” Létourneau said.

In Kuujjuaq the commission met with representatives from the major organizations, including Makivik Corporation and the Kativik Regional Government.

“Our objective was, three years after the signing of the Paix des Braves and the Sanarrutik, to see how things were going and whether people were happy,” Létourneau said.

These two agreements gave Cree and Inuit in northern Quebec millions of dollars for economic development in return for possible hydro-electric development in the future.