Nunavut’s year in review: April — June

April

— On April 1, Nunavut is born. Prime Minister Jean Chretién, Governor General Roméo Leblanc, Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart and an estimated 2,000 visitors come to Iqaluit to help Nunavummiut celebrate the creation of the new territory. Fireworks, traditional games, a nationally-televised protocol show that features the unveiling of a new flag and coat of arms, a gala evening of entertainment, and the inaugural session of Nunavut’s legislatve assembly are just some the ways in which Nunavummiut and other Canadians celebrate the creation of Nunavut.

— April 1 is celebrated in Ottawa with a gala reception open to all Inuit at the Governor General’s swank official residence, and a count-down party at the Museum of Nature. But events at the Museum of Civilisation, the official southern “headquarters” for April 1 festivities, leave a bad taste in the mouths of many as an exclusive, catered DIAND reception for Ottawa dignitaries leaves Inuit in the museum’s basement watching television. “I felt out of place,” says noted Nunavik artist Matiusi Iyaituk who was invited to the DIAND event. “About 99.9 per cent of the people there were Qallunaat.”

— Ed Horne, a former NWT school principal and a convicted child molester, is apprehended by the RCMP in Toronto as he steps off a flight from Mexico City. Horne is charged with 34 sex charges dating back to the early 1980s, all of which involve complainants who were children at the time the incidents are said to have occurred. Horne, who now faces more than 60 charges, is being held in protective custody at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre as he awaits trial.

— RCMP enter a well-knwn unlicensed drinking establishment in Iqaluit known as the “Booze Can.” Club manager Joseph Morneau contends there is nothing illegal about his operation. Morneau was later charged under the Liquor Act, and for violating zoning bylaws. His case is expected to be dealt with in court in the New Year.

— In an act of astonishing prudery, Canada Post balks at using the abbreviation “NU” for Nunavut. In French, “nu” means nude. The crown corporation later backs down after the national standards council rules that “NU” should be the postal designator for Nunavut.

— In its first major decision since division, the Nunavut government decides to scrap regional health and education boards. Health boards are to be phased out by April 2000, while school boards will cease to exist on July 2000.

— Iqaluit resident Mary Deschenes is charged with second degree murder after the death of her live-in boyfriend Gilles Bergeron. Deschenes is awaiting trial.

May

— The Arctic Council meets in Anchorage, Alaska. The Arctic Council was set up in 1996 to help the world’s eight circumpolar nations cooperate on common issues, especially those connected to the environment. Together, they are supposed to figure out how to achieve “sustainable development” in the Arctic. The majority of national representatives in Alaska want some kind of vision statement to guide the council’s sustainable development activities, but the U.S. opposes adopting any overall framework or set of principles for the idea of “sustainable development.”

— Iqaluit dope dealer Claude Caza pleads guilty to trafficking in hashish and defrauding three insurance companies of $170,000. He is sentenced to three and a half years in jail and is ordered to pay more than $500,000 in restitution. The Crown stays other arson-related charges and other charges of conspiracy to traffic in narcotics that Caza had been facing.

— The Nunavut legislative assembly gets down to business at Iqaluit’s parish hall, with Nunavut Commissioner Helen Maksagak reading the speech from the throne, and Finance Minister Kelvin Ng tabling Nunavut’s first budget. After passing Ng’s lean, parsimonious budget, MLAs did little during the session, which many observers found boring and irrelevant.

— Premier Paul Okalik attempts to quell fears that his government is backing away from job decentralization when he repeats his commitment to the idea of distributing Nunavut government jobs and functions among 11 Nunavut communities. He later creates a decentralization secretariat within the Department of the Executive to co-ordinate decentralization activities, and appoints Leona Aglukkaq as assistant deputy minister in charge of the secretariat. Okalik releases information showing how many Nunavut government jobs are slated for each of the 1o communities outside of Iqaluit, but won’t say how much decentralization will cost the government.

— The Nunavut Trust reveals that it hit the jackpot on its investments of Inuit compensation money, and has produced $11-million more than expected in investment income. Some Inuit leaders in Nunavut, including NTI President Jose Kusugak, say the money should be handed out as a dividend. But at NTI’s annual general meeting later in the year, directors decide to use the surplus to pay off NTI’s long-term debt with the Nunavut Trust. Some say the issue haunted Kusugak in the NTI executive election later in the year, which he lost.

— Labrador Inuit take another step closer to a land claim agreement with Canada and Newfoundland when they vote Yes to an agreement-in-principle. The agreement is ratified by the membership in July, but with a dangerously low voter turn-out.

— The Baffin region’s Kakivak Association announces it will give $1 million, or one quarter of its budget, to the Baffin district education board. The money is earmarked to hire 10 new classroom support assistants, 17 Inuit elders and two roving mental health consultants. But the board that oversees Kakivak fires executive director Pat Angnakak and rescinds the offer, saying the deal didn’t go through proper channels of approval. The education board then launches a lawsuit against Kakivak, saying it had already made commitments to spend the money.

— Former Kakivak CEO Pat Angnakak says she will sue her former employer for wrongful dismissal. Although the dismissal comes just weeks after Kakivak announces it won’t hand over one million dollars to the Baffin school board, Angnakak says she doesn’t believe the two incidents are related.

— Iqaluit’s municipal engineer, Denis Bedard, is charged with breach of trust, three counts of fraud over $5,000, and theft under $5,000. The charges relate to incidents said to have occurred while Bedard was working for the GNWT’s Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in Fort Simpson. Despite the charges against Bedard, Iqaluit town councillors allowed him to keep his job at the municipality of Iqaluit. Bedard is still waiting for a preliminary hearing and a trial.

June

— A gunman in Baker Lake shoots and wounds an RCMP officer after a 15-hour armed standoff. James Warren Maxwell is charged with three counts of attempted murder; three counts of endangering life with a firearm; and one count each of uttering a death threat, uttering a threat to commit bodily harm and possession of a firearm while prohibited.

— Canada’s new gun law becomes an issue in Nunavut’s legislature when Premier Paul Okalik says he will consider joining other provinces and territories in a court action challenging the legislation. Okalik later backs out of the joint fight, saying it would not make sense for Nunavut to join the court challenge.

— Canadian North drops the High Arctic community of Resolute Bay from its schedule. The carrier pulls out after losing a lucrative contract to ferry mine workers and cargo from the Polaris mine at nearby Little Cornwallis Island.

— On July 1, Lorne Kusugak’s joint venture company, the Kivalliq Development Corporation, assumes management of the 40-bed Ublivik Inuit patient residence in Winnipeg. In mid-April the Keewatin Health Board awarded the service contract for Ublivik to Kusugak’s joint venture with Yellowknife businessman Tony Chang. Their company’s submission won over a bid made by Winnipeg-based Eastgate Inuit Enterprises, headed by Gloria Penner.

— Canadian researchers in the High Arctic are furious that American researchers, who received a research licence from the Nunavut Science Institute, have dug up a unique fossil site on Axel Heiberg, violating Canadian guidelines for the site’s use. At stake is a fossil forest that provides a window on the High Arctic world of 45 million years ago. It lies in the barren Geodetic Hills of Axel Heiberg Island, just off Ellesmere Island. The site is unique because its ancient remains, most of which lie on the surface, reveal that a tall, lush forest once covered its slopes.

— A group of Shinto priests from Japan visits Iqaluit’s elder centre to share gifts of friendship and an important message. The Shinto priests sign a memorandum of understanding with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., highlighting the common concerns between their ancient religious tradition and those of Inuit. Shinto and Inuit promised to learn more about each other’s culture and values.