Kivalliq News, March 15, 2023 edition

Hacked GN site promotes gambling

Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction website taken over by online casinos

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Rankin Rock players celebrate goaltender Preston Kaludjak, who shut the door in the team’s 4-0 finals win over Iqaluit to earn the 2023 Polar Bear Plate Sunday, March 12. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Hijacked Nunavut poverty site promotes gambling

Web page encourages Nunavummiut to visit online casinos; GN says its attempting to rectify the situation

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

Searching the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction on the internet will quickly lead one to www.makiliqta.ca.

The first headline on the site reads, “Nunavut Roundtable on Poverty Reduction Through Online Gambling.”

It goes on to explain that one of the biggest challenges in Nunavut is poverty and that the territory is coping with high unemployment rates.

The solution?

“When people live in extreme poverty, finding the way out of it can be a challenge,” reads the text on the front page of the website. “One of the options that can solve the problem of poverty is online gambling. If they gamble responsibly, individuals can change their financial situation for the better. Hitting the jackpot and winning the sum so big it can transform many lives is always possible.”

Readers are forgiven for racking their brains, wondering if this is some sort of progressive

21st century approach to poverty or if the whole thing is a hoax.

The next line writes, “It is very important to have a positive approach towards gambling,” and it goes on to explain how people should start with small bets and try different games. Later on the page, the website lists suggestions for online casinos where people can win money.

“Our organization is committed to reducing the level of poverty in Nunavut Provine (sic) through responsible online gambling,” states a line near the end.

The site bears the logos of the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction and Government of Nunavut (GN). Makiliqta is also a real name used on now-abandoned social media profiles by the GN, and www.makiliqta. ca is listed as the contact page in the 2017-2022 Makimaniq Plan 2.

“It’s a long and complicated story,” said Lindsay Turner, director of the poverty reduction division at the GN, about what happened to the website.

She said it had essentially been hacked, or something along those lines. She was not eager to discuss it for long, lowering her head in shame that the subject was raised.

A screenshot from www.makiliqta.ca. This once was a legitimate Government of Nunavut website. Now, it has been taken over and uses the language of the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction to redirect visitors to gambling sites.

A screenshot from www.makiliqta.ca. This once was a legitimate Government of Nunavut website. Now, it has been taken over and uses the language of the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction to redirect visitors to gambling sites.

“We’re working on it,” she said when asked if the GN was trying to regain ownership of the site.

Mads Sandbakken, director of policy and planning with the Department of Family Services, stated in an email to Kivalliq News that the department is aware of the hijacking and working to get it removed and replaced with

another website.

“We have been in contact with a contractor that will assist in removing and replacing this,” stated Sandbakken.

“Thanks for flagging and, of course, the information on the website is inaccurate and does in no way reflect the views of Family Services or the Poverty Reduction Division.”

Local Journalism Initiative Nunavut

MLA pleased more Inuit are graduating at Ecole des Trois-Soleils

George Hickes says shared facilities eliminates demographic isolation for some groups

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Iqaluit

During an operations and maintenance committee meeting on March 6 at the Nunavut Legislature, education minister Pamela Gross said the shared use of gymnasium facilities between Iqaluit’s École des Trois-Soleils and the Aqsarniit Middle School is a positive example of commonly shared community values.

Gross said she hopes that dialogue will continue between the Iqaluit District Education Authority and the French school board to ensure that reciprocity is given back to Iqaluit and the other schools for the use of their facilities.

Iqaluit-Tasilik MLA George Hickes shared a similar sentiment, saying it “eliminates some of the isolation that some demographics may experience here in the city. We want all of our kids to get exposed to as many different people, cultures and activities as possible.”

Hickes said the ever-increasing amount of graduates, and even Inuit graduates at Iqaluit’s École des Trois-Soleils, is a positive sign for Iqaluit’s Francophone community.

“I attended the graduation at École des Trois-Soleils last year, and I missed the one before that,” said Hickes.

“But I was at the one before that, and there was only one before, and there was only one grad at that point. Last year I think there were six grads and four were Inuit.”

“I think that’s something worth acknowledging and recognizing,” said Hickes.

Hickes said it was a good example of how anyone can succeed in the territory with any three of Nunavut’s official languages, be it French, Inuktitut or English.

According to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 4.3 per cent of Nunavummiut can speak both English and French, with 1.7 per cent of Nunavut residents claiming French as their mother tongue.

Seventy-seven of Francophones in Nunavut are born elsewhere

The number of graduates at Iqaluit’s Ecole des Trois-Soleils has increased in recent years. Trevor Wright/NNSL photo in Canada, with 10 per cent of those being born abroad and the remaining 13 per cent born in Nunavut. Most of Nunavut Francophones live in the Qikiqtani region (86 per cent) with most of them in Iqaluit with the territory’s only French school École des Trois-Soleils and Francophone Centre being located in the city. École des Trois-Soleils is currently in the process of getting its

own gymnasium expanded by next September and the deputy minister of Education Martine St.Louis is hoping the spirit of cooperation between Iqaluit’s communities continues once it is finished.

“We’re hoping that the collaboration will continue and that the Francophone school board will be able to give back what they receive by sharing their gym,” said St. Louis.

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Rankin wins 2023 Polar Bear Plate

Squad defeats Iqaluit 4-0 in championship game

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

After Iqaluit bested Team Nunavut last December, Rankin players got their revenge in a 4-0 domination of the team from the capital to win the 2023 Polar Bear Plate Sunday, March 12.

“I’ve been waiting for this my whole life, since I started playing hockey,” said Makpa Uluqsi as his team celebrated on the ice.

Defenceman Xzavier Kubluitok was excited too.

“The amount of adversity I had to go through this weekend, it’s just a pleasure winning gold and all that hard work paying off,” he said.

Kubluitok added that he had been hit in the head in the first game of the tournament and was dealing with headaches all weekend.

“This game, I just left everything behind me,” he said.

Coach David Clark said he was excited to see the tournament getting bigger and bigger.

“It just goes to show the positive impact hockey has on our community and our territory,” he said. “I’m just so thrilled for these players and so excited.”

He added a huge thank you to everyone involved in making the event happen.

“This is such a beautiful sport,” said Clark. “To see communities come together and enjoy it, what else can you ask for?”

With Iqaluit earning silver, Naujaat defeated Salliq 7-4 to collect bronze.

Before he had played a game, Salliq player Kalai Saviakjuk talked to Kivalliq News about the hockey scene in his hometown.

“We need a bigger arena,” he said. “(The players) have all kinds of styles. There’s lots of pro people.”

Gabriel Sanertanut, in the stands as a fan, said he was always at the arena because of his son being in U11 hockey.

“It’s awesome,” he said about the tournament. “We get to watch hitting, and it was fun to watch some fights too yesterday.”

Rankin Rock players gather as final awards and medals are given out. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Maximus Ammaq skates amid strewn helmets and sticks after Rankin Rock clinched the gold medals. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Rankin Rock players embrace after the final buzzer, securing their 4-0 championship win over Iqaluit in the 2023 Polar Bear Plate. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Kobe Tanuyak skates to receive his gold medal in front of a packed Agnico Eagle Arena. Stewart Burnett/ NNSL photo

Xzavier Kubluitok was ecstatic to earn the 2023 Polar Bear Plate. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

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