Puvirnituq mayor clarifies municipal party issue

After reading the Nunatsiaq News of Jan. 7, 2000, I have to write this letter in response to the section on Puvirnituq in the News Brief item “Christmas busy for Nunavik cops.”

I do have something to say about the local municipal council’s party on December 23, 1999.

1. This party was the municipal employees’ annual year-end get-together, and the councillors were invited to the dinner party, with some games. No one was intoxicated and no one was arrested at that party.

No local police came to the hotel at all. How could they have seen so many intoxicated people when they did not even come in to see what was going on?

2. In early December Jane George called me and asked me how we controlled alcohol in the community’ I told her about our stamping and signing authorizations with a limit for individuals who wish to order once a month. I never said anything about “promising to clamp down on the flow of alcohol in our community.” The only problem I mentioned to her was the bootlegging, which is very hard to control in every community.

The council never hosted any so-called rowdy party. We were invited by the employees, and we had a great time.

Now, we always try to maintain good working relations with our local police and would appreciate that some people stop trying to put words where there had been nothing.

I want you to print this to stop any mistaken mistrust in people who read your newspaper in our community:

Aisara Kenuajuak
Mayor
Puvirnituq