New mayor tackles Kuujjuaq deficit

Making the right choices and moving ahead — that’s what Larry Watt is trying to do this summer, his first as mayor of Kuujjuaq, Nunavik’s largest community.

Despite a multi-million dollar deficit, which is causing Kuujjuaq to look for ways to cut costs, Watt said the Aqpik Jam, the community’s annual end-of-summer bash, will be as good as ever, although there’s won’t be any visiting musicians from Aasiaat, Greenland, Kuujjuaq’s twin community.

“We can’t afford Greenland anymore,” Watt said.

Performers tentatively lined up for the Aqpik Jam, Aug. 15 to 18, include country music star Charlie Major, Innu singer Florent Vollant, Rankin Inlet’s Charlie Panigoniak, throat-singer Sylvia Cloutier and DJ “Mad Eskimo,” Beatrice Deer, the gospel trio of Johnny, Rhoda and Lizzie, the Kuujjuaq Rappers, and many other groups from around Nunavut and Nunavik.

Much of Kuujjuaq’s worrisome multi-million dollar deficit is a legacy of the construction of its $8.5 million Kaittitavik community centre and its 500-seat auditorium.

Built in time for the 2003 Inuit Circumpolar Conference meeting in Kuujjuaq, the complex now houses the town hall, the Nunavik Tourism Association and the movie theatre.

Watt has been negotiating a $3.7 million, long-term loan from Quebec’s department of municipal affairs to manage a deficit resulting from the construction and operation of the centre.

At the same time, Kuujjuaq is lobbying, with backing from the Kativik Regional Government, for a more equitable division of Quebec’s regional municipal subsidy.

“We have roughly 20 per cent of the region’s population, but we only get 2.6 per cent of the regional subsidy, and this has been going on for the past six years,” Watt said. “We’re hoping to have a redistribution formula for next year.”

Watt is also looking at ways to save money on several special municipal projects, such as the operations of the Kaittitavik’s movie theatre.

“We don’t necessarily get funding for the balance of special projects,” he said. “We might have to make some changes to the number of personnel.”

Watt said the theatre will keep operating, but he wants to make it financially viable. Another way to achieve this goal may be to increase the number of clients for the daily screenings.

“I haven’t actually heard that no one has showed up, but sometimes it’s pretty close,” he said.

Although Kuujjuaq’s new pool will end up costing at least $250,000 more than first predicted, Watt said the pool construction will continue this year, but “we’re going to have to be looking for more money.”

Giving the go-ahead to alcohol sales in Kuujjuaq likely won’t give the town more money, but Watt wants to make sure that the three groups eager to sell booze to Kuujjuamiut — the local landholding corporation’s Kuujjuaq Inn, the Northern, and the coop store — outline their plans to the municipal council and to residents.

Public discussion on whether to move ahead with the plan to sell booze — and how — will probably take place in September, Watt said.

To assist Watt with all these projects is a new municipal manager, Jonathan Grenier.