Taloyoak SAO no longer in position after calling parents ‘stupid’
Mayor confirms departure, does not provide details
Janice Anderson is no longer senior administrative officer for Taloyoak. (File photo)
Taloyoak has a new acting senior administrative officer, says the hamlet’s mayor.
It’s not clear when former senior administrative officer Janice Anderson left the position or why. She caught ire from some in the hamlet for publishing a memo Sept. 4 in which she referred to parents of all-terrain vehicle riders in the community as “stupid.”
Mayor Lenny Panigayak did not confirm any details about Anderson’s departure.
“Janice has left the position,” he stated in an email to Nunatsiaq News on Oct. 8. “We have Our [assistant senior administrative officer] in the office for now.”
David Irqiut is the hamlet’s assistant SAO.
Taloyoak residents bristled at the harsh language Anderson used in her memo last month, in which she called out underage ATV drivers for reckless driving and making noise after hours.
“If the parents of these kids are too stupid to know you don’t toss the keys to an expensive motorized vehicle, along with a tank of gas, and then let them sleep all day, maybe the rest of us in the community shouldn’t be equally stupid,” Anderson said in the public service announcement, printed on official Hamlet of Taloyoak letterhead.
At the time, she forwarded Nunatsiaq News’ requests for an interview to the mayor’s office.
Anderson could not be reached for comment for this story.
lol who cares about it? Classic nn! Very classic!
The SAO probably wrote in her letter exactly what the mayor and council told her to write in the letter
It is notable how individuals from southern regions relocating to Nunavut often presume that they can effectuate changes in the mindset of Nunavut residents, their child-rearing practices, and their financial decision-making. As a newcomer, it is imperative to refrain from assuming the ability to promptly alter the community. It is an established fact that individuals cannot be coerced to change; this has been evidenced by the unsuccessful attempts of both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Catholic Church. Instead of seeking to impose change, it is essential to acclimate to the prevailing circumstances. If one aspires to effect positive transformations within the community, a proactive approach is required. Initiatives should be undertaken to advocate for wholesome lifestyle alterations, and applications for funding to establish educational programs should be pursued, as opposed to merely expressing grievances on social media, a platform that does not yield tangible results.
Welcome to nunavut. Hopefully you stay for more than a few month. Maybe check this post again in 10 years and see if you still feel the same way. Or you’ll be like most newcomers and get a year or 2 of experience and move back “home”.
I am not new to Nunavut; I have resided in this region for more than 51 years.
Sensational utilization of a thesaurus.
I’m going with chat GPT, but either way…
I hate my superviser , but i keep that opinion to myself, cuase i love my job.
What is stupider, issuing a rude but true public letter, or enabling your children in their reckless night time recreational activities?
The only reason there is outrage is because people aren’t thinking about the horrific ATV crashes that happen every so often in Nunavut. I’m guessing Taloyoak hasn’t had one in a few years.
We will just have to laugh at the community when they loose a stupid ATV drivers….
As with many SAO’s, she will be recycled to another community. Sad reality in Nunavut.
Good for her for stating the truth. I guess too many care more about having their feelings hurt (for hearing a hard truth) than having their kid killed in a crash of their own making.
False dichotomies are also stupid.
Cognitive dissonance is worse.
First rule of Nunavut is not to mention the social dysfunction no matter how in your face or insane it gets.
I hope she moves back home and become happy again where no one is stupid.
I hope so because Taloyaokmiut are apparently stupid.
She was absolutely, 100% correct. But she was utterly tactless about it.
welcome to the Loose dog town!!!
Well if she were in Kugluktuk, her comments would equally be true.
We have an unenforced by-law about wearing helmets when on an ATV.
Resulting in stupid adults driving around town with any number of children as passengers. But I guess we will wait until some child gets killed before anyone notices.
It seems no one cares.
Lol. Like that everywhere in nunavut except maybe hamlet of iqaluit. Go to any first nation reservation its the same too. Bigger fish to fry.
Bigger fish than the lives of children!!!
As I said – no one cares..
“Stupid is as stupid does” Forest Gump
“You can’t fix stupid” Ron White
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous that sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” MLK Jr.