Regional councillors get new donation budget
At last week’s meeting of the Kativik Regional Government council, councillors learned they will have $500,000 to distribute in community donations.
Councillors will receive requests for donations from their communities and then make recommendations to the KRG executive.
“They know best and so they can help with this,” said KRG chairman Johnny Adams.
The amounts each community receives for donations will be determined according to population size.
The money comes from the annual cheque that Inuit in Nunavik receive from the Sanarrutik Agreement.
This deal, signed in April 2002, ensures, among other benefits, that $360 million worth of tax-free, indexed transfers are delivered to Nunavik over the next 25 years in exchange for possible hydro-electric power projects in the region.
Last year’s cheque was about $8 million. Over the next 22 years, the value of the annual cheque will nearly double, to $15 million a year.
From the Sanarrutik funds earmarked for economic development, 174 positions have been created in Nunavik communities since 2002 for a total of $2,946,088.
But before the end of 2004, there’s still $2,453,912 left to spend, the KRG’s employment and training department reported at the recent KRG council meeting.
To date, Salluit, Kangiqsujuaq, Kangiqsualujjuaq and Quaqtaq have used the greatest portion of the money available. Nunavik’s largest communities, which receive the largest share of Sanarrutik funds, still have more to spend: Kuujjuaq, with a possible amount of $615,359 to spend, has $418,795 available; Puvirnituq, with a possible amount of $562,745 to spend, still has $377,995; and Inukjuak, with $527,705 to use, has $254,269 left.
At the recent council meeting, the KRG council decided to earmark part of the money from Sanarrutik to build garages for the region’s new search and rescue boats. As well, 29 snowmobiles will be purchased for elders.
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