Native affairs secretariat introduces new chief

KUUJJUAQ — Nunavik’s leaders have a few new faces in Quebec City to get used to.

Robert Sauvé, the former head of the Sécrétariat des Affaires Autochtones — the native affairs secretariat — came to Kuujjuaq last week to introduce his successor, Diane Gaudette, with whom Nunavimmiut will interact on issues such as self-government negotiations.

Sauvé, who had been with the SAA for five years and visited Nunavik on numerous occasions, received a parka and sculpture from the KRG in recognition of his efforts on behalf on Nunavik.

But Sauvé isn’t the only familiar face Nunavik leaders and officials will miss seeing in Quebec City.

Last week’s cabinet shuffle, which saw long-time ministers leave in a huff and others move to new files, creating a new political landscape in the seat of the provincial government.

Johnny Adams, chairman of the Kativik Regional Government, said Quebec’s new minister of native affairs, Rémy Trudel, is well known to the regional government. Trudel is a former minister of municipal affairs.

“He was sensitive to the needs of Nunavik,” Adams said.

Former native affairs minister, Guy Chevrette, was, however, also in charge of transportation – and able to help Nunavik in tangible ways, such as finding millions of dollars to help pave roads in every Nunavik community or money to offset the high cost of fuel and travel in the region.

“If you look at the gains in transportation, it was with Chevrette. With the paving, it was Chevrette. With the fuel subsidy, it was Chevrette. Now, instead of going to one place, we’re going to have to go to several places for the same result,” Adams said.

The new minister of municipal affairs, André Boisclair, is an unknown for the KRG.

However, Ungava MLA Michel Létourneau, who will serve as the new minister responsible for northern development, already represents Nunavik’s interests in the national assembly.