Nunavut News - May 8, 2023

The U15 boys team from Cambridge Bay took second place in Tier 2 at Senior Super Soccer in Yellowknife during the final days of April. Front row, from left, Joshua Kaomayok, Peter Kilaodluk, Braxton Vandenbrink, Jeffrey Panioyak and Jonah Ittoshat. Back row, from left, Kayson Kuliktana, Dallas Keyok, Vincent Panaktak, Brady Vandenbrink and Jacob Otokiak.

Photo courtesy of Gillian Rossi

Idlout calls for investments to help Indigenous women

Nunavut MP says overcrowded housing trapping victims

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Nunavut

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout took a moment in the House of Commons to call for greater investment in improving Indigenous women’s safety April 26.

“I cannot name the many Indigenous women who have reached out to me, trying to flee from violence,” said Idlout. “If I did, I would make their already difficult situation even worse. To those who are forced to live with their abusive partners, I say, ‘I hear you’.”

She went on to say that the government needs to hear that these women are forced to live in abusive situations because of the lack of housing, lack of shelters and “the justice system is not protecting them.”

“The government needs to recognize how failures in investing in Indigenous housing leave women living in fear and unable to find safety,” said Idlout.

“I am calling on this government to make much-needed investments now.”

While discussing the federal budget April 21, Idlout had also called out the government for allocating “almost a billion dollars to persuade Indigenous peoples to exploit their lands.”

She said that the inherent rights of Métis, Inuit and First Nations people were being violated.

“I say to the families of the MMIWG, the survivors and families of residential schools, families who were forced off the lands and into settlements and to Indigenous peoples and their lands that were, and continue to be, stolen, that they must protect and defend Indigenous peoples’ lands,” said Idlout.

“To Indigenous peoples who are homeless, living in overcrowded or dilapidated housing conditions, and to all Inuit, First Nations and Métis, I say that too few of MPs will stand up for their rights and I plead with them to protect their rights, speak up and demand justice from their MPs.”

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout is banging the housing drum to help the circumstances of Indigenous women in the House of Commons. Screenshot from the House of Commons

InukNet seeks to make data overage fees thing of the past

Satellite internet service plans to launch end of 2023; expansion plans 2024

By

Wright

A newly formed telecom company is seeking to make data overage fees a thing of the past, InukNet Communications, announced on April 27 is seeking to initially roll-out in Nunavut’s 25 communities by the end of 2023 utilizing satellite technology.

The new company was formed through a partnership between Panarctic Communications, (a subsidiary of the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation), and Galaxy Broadband (a subsidiary of Crown Capital Partners Inc), to be an Inuit-controlled internet service provider for northern Canada.

There are further plans to expand InukNet’s coverage to Nunavik (Northern Quebec) and additional communities in the Northwest Territories in 2024.

“InukNet will provide the Northern territories with state-of-the-art internet service made possible by advances in satellite technology,” said Qikiqtaaluk president and CEO Harry Flaherty.

“Connection to the community is vital to success in Canada’s Northern communities and our vast history of supporting local businesses, large enterprises, and governments and we are excited to launch InukNet for the benefit of all of the Canadian Arctic.”

According to Panarctic Director Jean-Francois Bouchard, one of the community distribution points for the satellites will be a data centre located in Iqaluit, which will ensure fast support for businesses in Nunavut’s capital.

Along with this, there are plans for InukNet to be locally supported by Inuit employees in addition to providing internet.

“It’s a new era in communications with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite and new high powered Ka band geostationary satellites that offer higher speeds with low latency and network resilience,” said Rick Hodgkinson, founder and CEO of Galaxy Broadband.

“InukNet will be a carrier grade network with world leading security and engineered to integrate multiple gateways, teleports, and local distribution,” he added.

Rankin wins U15 hockey title at Toonik Tyme Tournament

By Stewart Burnett

Rick Hodgkinson, founder and CEO of Galaxy Broadband, left and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation president and CEO Harry Flaherty announce the founding of InukNet Communications on April 27. Photo courtesy Galaxy Broadband

Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet continued its hockey domi-

nance at the 2023 Toonik Tyme event in Iqaluit, with the U15 team taking home gold for the Kivalliq capital in a 6-3 win over Iqaluit Sunday, April 23.

Piu Piu Kusugak, Makayla Kaludjak, Atuat Hickes and Tiana Misheralak pose for a photo after winning gold. Photo courtesy of Nazie Darehshoripour

Darren Ikakhik, coach, stands with Atuat Hickes, Thornton Kaludjak, Little Kaludjak, Piu Piu Kusugak, and coach Pujjuut Kusugak in the back row, with Yvon Ikakhik, Logan Illnik, Jeff Taparti, Deryk Voisey and Carson Tatty in the middle. Goaltender Orren Makpa is in front.

Photo courtesy of Nazie Darehshoripour

Trevor

Northern News Services Nunavut

Ilitaqsiniq pilots four-day workweek

Move to encourage cultural connection, compete

By Stewart Burnett Northern

To help employees connect with their cultural roots, enjoy the sun and retain skilled staff, Ilitaqsiniq is piloting a four-day workweek over the summer.

“We’re always looking to be cutting edge, and we’re firm believers in our innovative approach to things,” said executive director Adriana Kusugak.

Kusugak had been researching four-day workweek studies and reading positive reports, so she brought the concept to senior management and then the board of directors for Ilitaqsiniq, who all supported running a pilot project for the non-profit. Working with human resource specialists, Ilitaqsiniq developed the pilot model and a series of ways to track, monitor and review its success.

“The whole goal behind this four-day workweek is to support our employees, to help them restore their mental health and wellness,” said Kusugak.

And this isn’t one of those four-day workweeks that tacks on an extra two hours each day. The organization has opted to follow the 100-80-100 model, which means 100 per cent salaries, 80 per cent hours and 100 per cent effort. Staff will be working Monday to Thursday at regular hours but paid for five days of work.

“We’re essentially giving them an additional day off on Fridays,” said Kusugak.

And it’s not only for the employees’ wellbeing: it’s also a pitch to retain and recruit staff in a difficult hiring environment.

“It is also an opportunity to be used as a recruitment and retainment tool,” said Kusugak.

for staff

“Because we are a not-for-profit organization at Ilitaqsiniq, we can’t compete in some ways with other organizations, but one way that we can is by being creative and innovative and that’s where the four-day work week comes in.” Hiring is difficult worldwide, in all industries and contexts, said Kusugak.

“Our goal as always is to recruit Inuit who are passionate about serving Nunavummiut,” she said. “If we can use this pilot to support that, then we’re all for it.”

More than anything, though, the goal is for staff to have extended weekends over the summer to engage in Inuit cultural practices, enjoy the sun and connect with family.

“We want to give our staff the opportunity to engage in that because they’ll be using all that learning and information in their programs anyway,” said Kusugak.

The pilot runs May 8 to September 1. Through it, staff will be tracking their work and how they’re feeling about the initiative. Afterward, Ilitsqsiniq will digest the information, analyze it and produce some reports of the findings.

“The goal would be to do it more than once,” said Kusugak, if the data and feedback support it. “I think in order to really research something, you have to do it more than once to prove anything.”

The ultimate goal, she said, is to make the four-day workweek from May to September part of the organization’s workplace policy.

As Ilitaqsiniq prides itself on being forward-thinking, the non-profit will also be sharing its results with other employers in the territory – despite being competitors – to potentially encourage them to implement a similar policy as well.

“Our whole goal as an organization is to empower Nunavummiut,” said Kusugak.

Pope’s willingness to return sacred items means they will come home: national chief

Vatican says part of its collection were gifts to popes and the church from missionaries

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the Pope’s willingness to return artifacts stored at the Vatican Museum is another step forward on Indigenous Peoples’ journey with the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

“We asked for the return of our sacred items, and they will make their way home soon,” said Chief RoseAnne Archibald in an emailed statement.

Pope Francis said Sunday that talks were underway to return the artifacts. He was asked about the issue during a news conference on a flight back home from Hungary and said that “in the case where you can return things, where it’s necessary to make a gesture, better to do it.”

Much of the Vatican’s current collection is from a former pope who decided to hold a world exposition in 1925. A message went out at that time to missionaries around the globe to send items. More than 100,000 objects and works of art were displayed.

The Vatican has said parts of its collection were gifts to popes and the church.

Francis said Sunday that the “restitution of the Indigenous things is underway with Canada — at least we agreed to do it.”

Returning artifacts is vital, said Audrey Dreaver, an artist, curator and instructor at the First Nations University of Canada in Regina. The artifacts give communities connection to history, build pride and help healing, she added.

But Dreaver, who is nehiyiwak or Plains Cree, said there are a lot of questions about the Vatican’s process of repatriation.

“Who are they going to give it to? What is their plan to return things,” Dreaver asked. “Who exactly are they talking to?”

Taking the items amounted to intellectual and psychological colonization, she said, and their return should not perpetuate that harm.

There must be discussions with Indigenous experts and communities about how to repa-

triate the exhibits with the respect and care needed, Dreaver said.

“If they haven’t reached out to Indigenous people who work in the museum field, how transparent are they being?”

Indigenous delegates who travelled to Rome to meet with Francis last year toured the Anima Mundi museum and requested the return of the items, which included ceremonial masks, wampum belts, embroidered gloves and headdresses. One item they saw was a rare kayak that the Inuvialuit Regional Corp. had requested be returned.

Many objects were taken away from Indigenous people after the Canadian government outlawed cultural practices through the Indian Act in 1876. Ceremonial items and other important objects were seized, then sold, given to museums or destroyed.

Indigenous curators and experts have said they have been unable to get access to the unknown number of objects in the Vatican’s possession.

The pontiff travelled to Canada in July for a six-day tour, during which he apologized for the church’s role in residential schools. He also said what happened in residential schools amounted to genocide.

Archibald said returning the artifacts will mark another advancement.

She also pointed to the Vatican’s recent denunciation of the Doctrine of Discovery, which was used to legitimize the seizure of Indigenous land.

All the actions came after pressure and petition from Indigenous people, she noted.

“There are many other injustices that the Catholic Church must make right,” she said.

“We will not rest until our survivors and little ones who never made it home can have peace.”

— By Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press with files from The Associated Press

Adriana Kusugak, executive director of Ilitaqsiniq, speaks during a panel on Inuit opportunity at the 2022 Kivalliq Trade Show in Rankin Inlet. The nonprofit organization is piloting a four-day workweek, with no extra hours taken on in those four days for staff, as a means of attracting talent and allowing employees to spend time engaging in their culture this summer. Stewart Burnett/NNSL file photo

Dancing all the way to Toronto

Baker

Lake youth head

Seven youth from Baker Lake are headed south to take part in a dance camp and then show in Toronto as part of the Outside Looking In program.

“It’s about dancing for young Indigenous people,” said 13-year-old Vicky Nakoolak, succinctly.

Outside Looking In runs eight-month community-based dance programs in more than a dozen communities in the country, with Baker Lake being signed on last fall. The program culminates in two shows in front of audiences in Toronto.

Nathan Annanaut, recreation director for Baker Lake, connected with Outside Looking In when he wanted to provide something for youth other than the typical games, hockey and similar.

“I wanted the youth of Baker Lake to experience something different,” he said. He found wellness funding to support the program, with attendance jumping from five to more than 20 youth between the first and

south as part of Outside Looking In dance program

second sessions. A professional dance choreographer, Sebastian Bash Hirtenstein, has been visiting Baker Lake regularly to teach the youth. When he’s gone, the youth have been practising with video rehearsals two or three times a week all winter.

“Usually you’d have to go to New York or Los Angeles or Vancouver for this type of thing,” said Annanaut. “I wanted something different, so I brought (Hirtenstein) up to Baker Lake instead.”

David Kalluk, 13, was enjoying showing off some of the moves he’s learned.

“At the start of every practice, we do exercises to get our body going,” explained Kalluk.

Annanaut sees something in these youth.

“When I see these young people, I see trailblazers, I see future leaders,” he said. “It changes them. I want them to become our leaders in the future, 10, 20 years from now. I want them to be councillor, mayors, MLAs. I want them to take chances. I want the kids to learn if you try something and work hard, you will get something out of it. I just want them to win.”

As the youth head south, Annanaut turns his attention to Hamlet Days games in the community, with about $32,000 in prizes to

give out and a dozen games every day for nearly a week.

“After Covid everyone realized, what were we doing?” remarked Annanaut about how

much people love gathering, playing and connecting. He said people are not taking the chance to be together for granted this time.

David Kalluk, Vicky Nakoolak, Kassidy Tunguaq and Chloe Tunguaq show off some moves as part of the Outside Looking In dance program in Baker Lake. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

David Kalluk strikes a pose. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

David Kalluk and Vicky Nakoolak put on a show during rehearsals. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Chloe and Kassidy Tunguaq display some moves they’ve learned. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Baker Lake

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For Indigenous women’s safety, Nunavut needs a proper housing market

The trickle-down social effects of a poor economy

Speaking in the House of Commons, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said she couldn’t name the number of Indigenous women who had reached out to her trying to flee from violence.

“To those who are forced to live with their abusive partners, I say, ‘I hear you,’” said the Nunavut MP at the April 26 session.

She went on to talk about some of the contributing factors to those women’s strife, namely overcrowded housing, which limits opportunities for escape, and a seemingly unjust justice system.

The reason Nunavut doesn’t have enough housing is because there’s not enough money going into housing and a weak economic backbone. Demand far exceeds the ability to supply, but individuals in Nunavut have little buying power and fewer options.

The government is obsessed with changing that, for good reason, but it’s a job bigger than government. Building more social housing is not the answer. It is a temporary bandaid that slows the bleeding but doesn’t address the issue.

Other than incentivizing housing projects, what the government can do is clear a path for economic investment in the territory.

Nunavut needs a strong economic base that puts money – power – in individuals’ pockets and optimism in their eyes.

The only way out is for Nunavummiut to become richer. Individual Nunavummiut need economic buying power, not just the government. Economic buying power is freedom in this world, like it or not, and those stuck jobless or floundering in Nunavut’s sleepy economy are at the mercy of the tides.

Even those with decent government jobs have limited opportunities, with almost no housing available for sale. Many Nunavummiut and those who come North for work are simply saving money to put toward a house in the south, because there’s nothing to buy here.

The awkward subject is that the main way for Nunavut to become richer is to make Nunavut look more like the rest of Canada and less like Nunavut, meaning more large infrastructure projects, more roads, more mining, more economic activity. All of this comes at the potential expense of chipping away at the way of life and serenity of an untouched land.

Everyone would like to find a path that balances both pursuits in perfect harmony. While we think of that, in the meantime, people are suffering. It’s doubtful that anyone’s vision for Nunavut involved 15 people cramped in a three-bedroom home, all getting repeatedly sick, all on years-long housing waiting lists and all at the mercy of their lack of options.

BURNETT

Even worse, many of those people, and many Indigenous women, are stuck in homes that are not safe for them. Some are trapped because of their controlling and violent partners, some are trapped economically and can’t afford to leave, and some are trapped because they are sacrificing their own lives to make things as easy on their children as possible.

Going back to Idlout’s comments, Indigenous women need power. That means more than a safe house, which is a fantastic thing to have. Indigenous women need economic power to own their own homes, leave bad situations and pursue new opportunities. Nunavut needs a stronger economy for that.

Canadian Indigenous leaders meet with King Charles in London ahead of coronation

A delegation of Indigenous leaders from Canada met with King Charles III on Thursday, where they talked about reconciliation and the need to build a strong relationship going forward.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Metis National Council President Cassidy Caron had an audience at Buckingham Palace, just two days before the King’s coronation on Saturday.

Archibald said the meeting was a chance to “evolve the relationship with the Crown,” which predates confederation.

“One of the issues that is important to us is that nation-to-nation relationship that we have had and continue to have,” she said, adding that the meeting was “very positive.”

“It was also an opportunity for us to connect to the King on things that matter to him, things that also matter to us and that we can work together on.”

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Obed said the leaders were also able to talk about the issues facing their communities, and all three of them invited the King to visit Canada to continue the work of reconciliation.

As prince of Wales, King Charles spoke often of the importance of reconciliation with Indigenous people, which was one of the priorities of his three-day visit to Canada last year. In a closing speech in Yellowknife, the King said he had been “deeply moved” by the stories of residential school survivors he’d met, and publicly acknowledged their suffering.

Many Indigenous leaders have urged the monarchy to go further in addressing the harms of Canada’s colonial legacy, and Archibald is among those who has previously called for an apology.

But the three leaders all said that Thursday’s meeting was about establishing a positive relationship, and that the tougher conversations will come later.

Obed said the relationship moving forward will include both easier parts, such as agreements to promote Indigenous arts and culture, and more difficult ones.

“The challenges around the colonial history

and a lot of the associated issues with that, I don’t think that the King has thought that those aren’t going to be on the table,” he said. “But certainly we will have to proceed as best we can in light of the real limitations that all of us have in doing things for our respective institutions.”

Archibald said the meeting wasn’t the right time to raise the issue of an apology, but rather a chance to set the groundwork for the future. She said the leaders hope to meet with the King again, both virtually and during an eventual in-person visit.

Caron agreed, adding that she didn’t believe the meeting was merely symbolic.

“To be able to sit down as First Nations, Metis and Inuit and share with him who we are and what our priorities are as a people, and identify the ways that we can work together into the future, is really important to us,” she said.

She said the fact that King Charles made time for the meeting only two days before the coronation was “sincerely meaningful,” and bodes well for a future relationship.

Other Indigenous leaders have also travelled

to London for the coronation events, including several grand chiefs from Manitoba.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said in a joint interview that they’ve come in part to remind the King of his treaty relationship with Canada’s Indigenous people.

“We’re here to remind the new King that he has to restore that relationship he had with Indigenous people because we didn’t sign treaties with Canada, we signed treaties with the Crown,” Settee said.

He said the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous people dates back to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which viewed the association as a nation-to-nation one. However, he said that changed over time as Indigenous people started to be treated as “wards” rather than partners, resulting in poverty, marginalization and broken treaty promises.

“This is something the monarchy needs to address because the relationship we’ve had has not been a very good relationship,” he said.

He would like to see the King take concrete steps, including refuting the Doctrine of Discovery, which was used to legitimize the seizure of Indigenous land, and make a new proclamation to complement the one made in 1763, which would reaffirm the recognition of Indigenous nationhood.

Merrick said she’d like to see the Crown follow up with its representatives in Canada to help move forward priorities such as the return of land, resource revenue sharing and a new Indigenous citizenship system.

She also believes the King should apologize.

“I believe an apology should be said in terms of how our people were treated and in terms of giving that authority to Canada to treat the way they treated our people,” she said. However, she added that the chiefs’ presence in London is a gesture of goodwill.

“Today we’re moving forward,” she said. “We’re very happy we’re able to be here to celebrate him becoming King, so hopefully that relationship begins moving forward.”

—By Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

STEWART

“The challenges around the colonial history and a lot of the associated issues with that, I don’t think that the King has thought that those aren’t going to be on the table,” says Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. The Canadian

Press/AP-Gregorio Borgia

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Darian Haqpi sent us this photo from Nunavut. Late evening sunset at the Southeast side of Ferguson Lake.

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Cambridge Bay takes on Senior Super Soccer

The Super Soccer tournament was from April 27 to 30 in Yellowknife. Games were played in the Yellowknife Fieldhouse. In the tournament, our teams were entered as “Kilinik” since each team must be associated with a school. However, to us our teams were the Wolverines and we had 4 different teams. We had a U19 Girls, U19 Boys, U15 Girls, and U15 Boys teams.

The age limits were 19 and 15 in the respective categories. We were able to get age exemptions for 4 of our senior athletes so they could play in this tournament which was really great!

The main coaches for the boy’s team were Francis Oduro and Beni Gatsoundou. For the girls, it was Gillian Rossi, Stephanie Moreno, Sandra Carter and Mika Angohiatok.

To fundraise, we got some donation money from Nunavut Soccer, and we ran some teen dances and bingo over the last little bit to help us. We also had support from other organizations such as Kitikmeot Friendship Society (KFS).

The U19 teams have been active for a long time. Many of them have been playing together since they were 13 and it has been special to watch some of them play in their last youth tournament. Our U15 Boys are newer, only forming in the new year (January 2023) and the U15 Girls are the youngest team, only have been put together a few weeks ago. A lot of the U15 girls were more around ages 11 and 12, so they played so great considering their opponents in this tournament were 15-year-olds. They got so many compliments on how hard they worked and how much potential they have to grow into a really strong team!

The Wolveries girls line up after a game. From left, Reagan Evetalegak, Kiana Ekpakohak, Kristen McCallum, Annica Otokiak, Ayra Komak, Deanna Taylor, Carly Angohiatiok, Ada Carter. Photos courtesy of Gillian Rossi.

The U19 boys team from Cambridge Bay was, back row from left, Tyrell Pye, Jaiden Maksagak, Brett Evetalegak, Beni Gatsoundou, Shaye McCallum, Jacob Otokiak, Paiden Otokiak and Francis Oduro; front row from left, Rylan Angohiatok and Nicolas Tologanak.

Some of the players enjoy some food before a game.

Northern News Services

The most valuable player of the final boys game of the tournament game was Brady Vandenbrink. Photos courtesy of Gillian Rossi.

The girls were warming up before a game. In the photo are Samaya McCallum, Rayna Mala, Alice Kilaodluk, Deanna Oyakyoak, Raine Ekpakohak, Barbara Helak, Maci McCallum, Brooklyn Peterson, Shaneal Evetalegak, Aryanna Kaosoni, Kiana Kitigon-Lauer and Gillian Rossi. Photos courtesy of Gillian Rossi.

The U19 boys shake hands after a game against the Diamond Jenness Panthers of Hay River, NWT. Photos courtesy of Gillian Rossi.

Kiana KitigonLauer was named player of the game against St. Pat’s High School of Yellowknife.

Photos courtesy of Gillian Rossi.

New Covid-19 XBB1.5 strain circulating in Nunavut

Get vaccinated and stay home when sick, among health tips

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Nunavut

Nunavut’s Department of Health is advising Nunavummiut of a new Covid-19 variant being detected in the territory.

The variant is XBB1.5 and is likely expected to overtake other Covid-19 strains and will likely become the most dominant strain circulating in the territory.

Masks remain mandatory in all healthcare facilities in Nunavut.

The Department of Health would like to remind residents of Nunavut that Covid-19 remains a threat and that flu season isn’t over yet.

They recommend all Nunavummiut over six months of age to get both the flu and Covid19 vaccine.

Other ways to stop the spread of respiratory illnesses like influenza, Covid-19 and other virus can include:

- Staying up-to-date on vaccinations

- Staying home when sick

- Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve

- Washing hands often

- Physical distancing when out and about

- Avoid touching your face

- Throwing away used tissues in the trash right away

- Not smoking indoors or around others, particularly babies

Baffin Island caribou harvest closes

Limit of 350 caribou reached

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Qikiqtaaluk

ibou will be investigated and enforced, according to Nunavut’s Department of Environment.

On April 28, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board declared the 2022-23 Baffin Island caribou harvest

As of April 28, the Baffin Island caribou harvest is closed. The total allowable harvest for the 2022-23 season of 350 caribou, put in place by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has been reached. Any additional harvesting of Baffin car-

Any remaining tags for Baffin caribou are now immediately void and are to be returned to the local wildlife office or hunters and trappers organization.

As part of co-management and recovery efforts for Baffin caribou, the total allowable harvest was established to allow the herd to recover for future harvesting opportunities.

to be closed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Nuanvut’s department of health are warning of a new Covid-19 strain circulating in the territory. (file photo).

Well-read and well-worn

Iqaluit taxi fare increases to $9

Charge expected to increase to $9.25 next year

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Iqaluit

The cost to take a taxi in Iqaluit has increased to $9 per resident as of May 1, 2023 the City of Iqaluit announced. The rate increase follows the city By-law 936 Schedule L, which identifies rate increases within an approved grid.

Elder’s fare continues to be $5 per trip, while children under 10 with an accompanying adult continue to be free. In May, 2022 taxi rates increased from $8 to $8.75, where it remained until it was increased this year. The rate is expected to increase to $9.25 on May 1, 2024.

Iqaluit’s taxi fare increase schedule is subject to an administrative review every three years as well as a taxi committee review every five years.

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Revamped Liberal attempt to ban assault-style firearms would apply to future models

other high-profile shootings.

The Liberal government is proposing a ban on assault-style firearms that would apply once legislation now before Parliament comes into force.

Under the scheme, the government would make regulations through the Firearms Act to ensure that guns are classified correctly before entering the Canadian market.

It also plans to revive a firearms advisory committee of interested groups and individuals that will make recommendations on the classification of guns now on the market.

The announcement Monday is the latest effort by the Trudeau government to restrict access to guns the Liberals say are unfit for hunting or sport shooting.

The Liberals withdrew a gun bill amendment in February that would have spelled out in law the various models to fall under an assault-style firearm ban.

After several days of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino outlined the revamped federal approach Monday. “We’re here today because this is a government that does what it takes to keep Canadians safe,” he told reporters.

Prominent gun-control group PolySeSouvient swiftly denounced the plan, accusing the government of proposing a watered-down definition that would apply only to future models and could be easily circumvented.

It also expressed dismay that the government is dropping its plan to ban the additional 482 assault-style models identified last year, leaving them in circulation and available for purchase. Among these is the Simonov SKS, which has been used in police killings and

PolySeSouvient, which includes survivors of the 1989 mass shooting at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique, said the government appears to have capitulated to the demands of the NDP to secure the party’s support for the bill.

Mendicino made no apologies. “What families and workers and communities expect of our government is that we make this Parliament work, that we work as much as possible with our colleagues across the aisle,” he said.

Mendicino also singled out the Conservatives for steadfastly opposing the gun bill.

The Tories said Monday the Liberals were continuing the largest assault on hunters in Canadian history. “Make no mistake, today’s announcement is simply the original amendments in a ‘new’ package. Hunters, farmers, Indigenous Canadians and sport shooters will not be fooled.”

In terms of scope, the newly proposed definition of assault-style firearm is largely similar to the one that was withdrawn. It would include a firearm that is not a handgun that discharges centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner and that was originally designed with a detachable magazine with a capacity of six cartridges or more.

Another voice for stricter firearm laws, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, welcomed the proposed amendments to the bill.

“This policy reflects the well-documented scientific evidence that demonstrates comprehensive assault weapon bans saves lives, and specifically, significantly reduces both the frequency of mass shootings and the number of victims,” the group said in a statement.

“Proposed amendments to Bill C-21 will go a long way to fulfilling the original intentions of the bill.”

He Dias it again

Tristen Dias is hoisted up after winning the men’s finals of the 2023 Kivalliq Snow Challenge in Rankin Inlet Sunday, April 30. The annual event was Dias’s thirdstraight championship.

By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

Photo courtesy of Noel Kaludjak

NDP MP Peter Julian rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, March 6, 2023. The federal New Democrats are coming under pressure from gun-control advocates to support Liberal efforts to enact a permanent ban on assaultstyle firearms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

‘Canada in my blood’: Charles’s coronation follows half century of Canadian visits

Royal experts, however, say new King faces daunting challenge in establishing himself in a country that has become skeptical of the monarchy

Last year, while still Prince of Wales, King Charles III opened a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali and pitched Canada as an example for the world to follow.

In a speech that reflected on the relationship between Commonwealth countries and the Crown, and on the roots of the association that run deep into the African slave trade, he commended Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

“As challenging as that conversation can be, people across Canada are approaching it with courage and unwavering commitment, determined to lay a foundation of respect and understanding upon which a better future can be built,” he said. “It seems to me that there are lessons in this for our Commonwealth family.”

In over 50 years of trips to Canada as prince, Charles has stressed a connection to Canada that stretches back decades, encompassing official visits, family trips and brief stopovers during his military service. But as Saturday’s coronation marks the final step in his succession of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he’ll have to forge a new relationship with the country as King.

Most recently, King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, travelled to Canada in May 2022 as part of the celebrations of the Queen’s platinum jubilee, when they were still Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. The three-day tour was focused on climate change, literacy and reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples.

The jubilee tour began in St. John’s, N.L., with a solemn moment of reflection on residential school deaths and ended in the North with a meeting with First Nations chiefs on climate change.

Prince Charles said he was deeply moved by conversations with survivors who courageously shared their experiences at residential schools. “I want to acknowledge their suffering and to say how much our hearts go out to them and their families,” he said during the visit, which some considered a step forward in Crown-Indigenous relations.

Royal experts say the King nevertheless faces a daunting challenge in establishing himself in a country that has become skeptical of the monarchy, and in a role that has been so inextricably linked to his mother in the minds of many Canadians.

And, while King Charles made a clear effort to engage with Indigenous people — and is believed to have made a point of ensuring they were invited to his coronation — his speeches in Canada stopped short of issuing the apology some Indigenous leaders had called for.

The King’s desire for a “slimmed-down” monarchy and his new duties may mean that future tours to Canada could become shorter, or rarer — which could make it hard to build connections.

King Charles’s relationship with Canada stretches back to his first official visit in 1970, which included touring Manitoba and the Northwest Territories with other members of the Royal Family. During his more recent visits, he has been accompanied by Camilla, whose distant Canadian ancestry he has mentioned.

“Every time I come to Canada … a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream — and from there straight to my heart,” he told a crowd in Newfoundland in 2009.

Those official visits have often featured the photo ops and official ceremonies the Canadian public has come to expect from the royals — including Prince Charles dancing a Dene drum dance in Yellowknife and pouring pints of beer in Newfoundland and Labrador on his most recent trip.

They have also touched on more serious subjects. Over the years, his visits to Canada often included events and conversations centred on climate change — a subject on which he has become increasingly outspoken.

In Ottawa last year, the then-prince urged Canada to use its “incredible influence” at the G7 and in other international forums to work on solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis.

“I’ve been trying to bring people from around the world together on sustainability for something dreadful like 40 years now,” he said.

“Now after endless procrastination, time is running out. So with trillions of dollars in assets, the private sector and private finance hold the ultimate key, I believe, to our success.”

King Charles has made several visits to Canada’s North, where he was so moved by the “matchless beauty” of the northern lights on a visit to Whitehorse that he said he tried to capture them in a painting.

More recently, he’s taken a particular interest in efforts to preserve the Inuit language and culture, including issuing an invitation to an Inuit group to travel to Wales in 2016 to

Then-Prince Charles walks and talks with Lt. Col. Ray Chiasson, commanding officer of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, during his visit to Yellowknife in 2022. His coronation as King is set to happen tomorrow. NNSL file photo discuss efforts to standardize the writing system for Inuktitut. His coronation is expected to be less lavish than his mother’s and include more people from all walks of life. The ceremony will, for the first time, include the active participation of faiths other than the Church of England, will include female bishops for the first time, as well as hymns and prayers sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. After Charles is crowned, the traditional homage of the peers will be replaced by an “homage of the people,” in which people in the Abbey and those watching on television will be invited to affirm their allegiance to the king.

Royal watchers have said the King’s first months on the throne have shown he’s a monarch who will take an active role in causes and is ready to engage with the public, but he still has work to do to win over skeptical Canadians. Polling released in March by marketing firm Leger found 67 per cent of Canadians surveyed were indifferent to the King,

compared with only 12 per cent who said it was good that he was monarch.

Just 13 per cent of those surveyed said they felt a personal attachment to the monarchy, and more than half said it’s the right time for the country to reconsider its ties with the institution.

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was born in 1948 at Buckingham Palace and was proclaimed heir apparent at the age of three when his mother took the throne. After graduating university in 1970, he trained as a military pilot, which included a stint at the Canadian Forces Base in Gagetown, N.B., where he trained “at an exercise area in the middle of nowhere,” he would later say.

At the age of 74, he is the oldest person to ever assume the British throne.

— By Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press with files from The Associated Press

CRA Indigenous representation far below Canadian population creating gaps in services, critics say

By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has an Indigenous representation problem in both its employment and language services, critics say.

Jennifer Robson, a professor of political management at Carleton University, researches the gaps in CRA services and how they impede its secondary role as a service provider. The CRA has too few Indigenous staff, creating gaps in its service for Indigenous Peoples, she says.

“The more that you actually have people in the tax agency (who) represent diverse perspectives, the better the planning and implementation you will get for service delivery,” Robson said.

The CRA reports 3.2 per cent of employees are Indigenous, a percentage that has not grown much in recent years. Those numbers, included in a 2020-21 annual report on the CRA’s equity, diversity and inclusion, are far below Indigenous representation in the core public service at 5.2 per cent and the total Indigenous population in Canada at five per cent. The CRA would need to hire over 900 Indigenous employees to catch up with their public service counterparts.

The CRA did not return a request for comment before publication, citing disruptions from the ongoing strike. The federal agency has recently tried to better understand and improve services for its Indigenous clientele. Public

opinion research from last year found that while two-thirds of Indigenous Peoples had a neutral impression of the CRA overall, nearly a quarter strongly disagreed that the CRA works for their benefit. Many had also experienced discrimination from representatives of the CRA, the research found.

Robson notes the hiring benchmark the CRA is setting for itself is too low, given the structural and systemic obstacles Indigenous Peoples face in the labour market. The CRA seeks representation in its workforce in line with “labour market availability,” or the number of available Indigenous workers in the marketplace.

But if you use the labour market as a benchmark, then you’re accepting the baked-in reality of excluding underrepresented groups like Indigenous Peoples, Robson says.

“We should actually be going further to try and look like the country that we serve.”

Part of that service should include communicating with Indigenous nations in their own languages, Robson adds.

Lisa Koperqualuk, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, told Canada’s National Observer how important language is for Inuit. It’s essential for government communication, particularly on tax issues, to be received in one’s own language, she says.

“Sometimes, the government writes to you about your income tax returns and tells you you owe money, but if you don’t understand that you owe the government money, well, for some people it’s very, very serious,” she said.

Ottawa does not recognize Indigenous languages like Inuktitut as official languages, so the CRA has no mandate or obligation to communicate in those languages.

“That’s a major gap, right, in terms of your ability to serve the local population,” Robson said.

A sign outside the Canada Revenue Agency is seen Monday May 10, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld