National poverty rep has sights set on Nunavut

KIRSTEN MURPHY

The head of Canada’s leading anti-poverty group rolled into Iqaluit on a fact-finding mission last week.

Pam Kapoor, acting executive director of the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO), held a public meeting attended by 30 concerned citizens as part of her Northern tour. Kapoor’s long-term goal is to publicize the social and economic issues facing Nunavummiut on a national level — issues already in need of identification here in Nunavut.

Social activists, union representatives, food bank volunteers, statisticians and Inuit leaders attended the April 24 meeting.

Maureen Doherty, representing the Nunavut Status of Women Council, said statistics are needed on how poverty affects women and their access to food subsidies, housing and education.

Doherty called the existing income support system “insulting” to mothers who are limited to where they can buy groceries.

Cathy Towtongie, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., raised concerns about high Arctic residents paying prohibitive power bills. She criticized the federally subsidized food mail program for not passing on savings to residents.

People voiced resounding support for creating a databank of statistics identifying what poverty really is, who is living in poverty and why.

During Kapoor’s brief visit, she visited the Oqota Emergency Shelter, the Nikiniq Nuatsivik food bank and spoke with literacy advocates.

Nunavut is the only jurisdiction without representation on NAPO’s 22-person board, an omission Kapoor hopes to change after NAPO’s June board meeting.

Kapoor’s visit has no immediate benefits for people living in poverty in Nunavut. However, in time, she hopes the contacts she made during her visit will help make policy changes at the federal level.

“There is no shortage of direction we can take with groups in the North. We can really lend a hand to what is going on up there,” Kapoor said after returning to her Ottawa office. “I’m overwhelmed by the potential to get involved.”

NAPO has grown from a grassroots conference to a federal lobbying force in its 30-year history. The organizations recently helped overturn municipal bylaws in Winnipeg and Victoria requiring panhandlers to wear identification cards.

“The board identified Nunavut as a priority last year. We want to do a better job of representing it,” Kapoor said.