Qikiqtani Inuit Association-owned corporation vows bigger presence in communities: CEO
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. touts help with Qikiqtarjuaq’s deepsea port, ocean research near Igloolik
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. president and CEO Harry Flaherty said the corporation will have a bigger presence in Baffin communities this upcoming year. (Photo by David Venn)
Qikiqtaaluk Corp. management has promised to be more engaged after some Baffin residents have criticized the corporation for not helping out their communities, says CEO Harry Flaherty.
He made the commitment in Inuktitut while presenting his corporation’s annual report to Qikiqtani Inuit Association representatives at the association’s board of directors meeting Wednesday morning.
“We’re actually in the communities now. Before, they felt that we were not helping out the communities,” Flaherty said of the community members’ concerns, in an interview afterward.
Flaherty said the corporation had lots of planning to do after its first community tour five years ago, when it consulted people on different ways to help build infrastructure and economy.
It took time for the corporation — created by Qikiqtani Inuit Associaton as its for-profit development arm — to build a team and begin some of the different projects that were proposed, he said.
For example, Qikiqtaaluk’s subsidiaries helped prepare paperwork for the deep-sea port in Qikiqtarjuaq, and it is currently working with the Hamlet of Kinngait on a port there.
In Sanikiluaq, the corporation is helping to build and operate a wind turbine that will be owned by residents in the community.
The corporation will engage with and have a bigger presence in Baffin communities this upcoming year, Flaherty said, though that may look different for each community.
For example, it’s in the beginning stages of investigating what kinds of species are at the bottom of the ocean offshore from Sanirajak and Igloolik, and whether what is discovered could provide food and revenue for those communities.
“Our goal is to see if those species are feasible for the market or sustainable for the communities,” Flaherty said.
QIA’s annual general meeting, taking place at the Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre, opened Tuesday and concludes Friday.
Is QIA making the announcement that they will be building the ports in China or flying in hundreds of workers from quebec for the jobs? Honest question that needs to be asked
I think Kudlik can answer that for you, flying in their crew from Quebec all over Nunavut.
Kudlik could provide insight into seacan housing. That’s how they house their staff, in communities
wow, they finally realized that there are other communities in the Baffin Region other than Iqaluit….
It’s ok. The Kimmirut/Pang snow day season is coming so Iqaluit will be forgotten for a few months while we carry the territory through the winter.
What’s the meaning of QIA, KIA, KIA in Nunavut ? Aside from getting high wages for their employees and having little to offer to the communities aside from Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet ?
If everything is Inuit owned how come Inuit are so broke?
All gone to qia assets in iqaluit and wage/bonuses
I think a lot of us need to shift our thinking of getting a handout, holding our hands out to get free money mentality and so much entitlement thinking is very unhealthy.
Nothing in this world is free, you have to work for it so don’t expect free money.
These organizations provides opportunities, lobbying governments to hire Inuit, private sectors, mining companies.
The opportunities are there, what you have to do is get the training and education to get them, be committed and show up and work for it.
Inuit here are very lucky to have these opportunities, when you look at other places around the world the indigenous people do not have these same opportunities.