Nunavik voters elect new KSB board

ODILE NELSON

The Kativik School Board held commissioner elections this past Wednesday, even as its outgoing board promised to continue its court battle with Makivik Corporation over negotiations for a new Nunavik government.

The departing school board commissioners say the fight for an injunction against Makivik will proceed, even though seven new commissioners are sitting on the board.

Only seven of the school board’s 14 commissioners sought re-election this week, but all four elected members of the five-member executive council sought re-election.

“Basically what’s happening right now has been voted on. What’s happening in the courts, the actions taking place there won’t change,” Debbie Astroff, the KSB’s public relations officer, said in an interview this week.

“If there are different decisions to be taken over the next few months, that will be decided by the new commissioners.”

The school board went before Quebec provincial court last week in an effort to stop Makivik from negotiating a self-government framework agreement with the provincial and federal governments.

The school board is alleging that the Nunavik Commission’s “Let Us Share” report, which forms the basis of the current framework negotiations, is illegal because two of the body’s eight commissioner’s did not sign the document.

As a result, the school board says Makivik does not have the authority to negotiate a new government agreement on its behalf.

The court refused to immediately freeze negotiations last Wednesday, but did agree to set up a preliminary hearing schedule for a future injunction trial.

Astroff said all new and re-elected officials will move very quickly into their roles. The board’s first commissioners’ meeting is already scheduled for Nov. 25.

The meeting will give the new commissioners the opportunity to learn about the reasons for the action against Makivik, Astroff said.

“It’s basically going to be quite an education session because we’re going to have at least seven new commissioners,” she said. “The council that was in they had studied the [injunction] file, voted on it, they knew it. The new group shouldn’t affect the file but they will need to be not taught but orientated on it.”

The school board election took place Wednesday but the results were not available before Nunatsiaq News’ deadline.

However, at least two commissioners, who ran unopposed in their communities were confirmed at press-time.

Alacie Nalukturuk won a second term as the representative for Inukjuak and Adamie Kalingo won his first term as a commissioner for Ivujivik.

The commissioners will guide the school board’s actions for the next three years. They will also nominate four of the board’s executive committee from their members.

The Kativik Regional Government will appoint its own representative to complete the executive committee.

Elected commissioners will earn an honorarium of $11,000 a year. The KSB president, the board’s only full-time position, will earn $71,743 annually.