Who you gonna call? Nunavut MLAs wonder if communities are ready for emergencies

How would your community respond to a major emergency, such as a fire at a power plant or a school? That's what some Nunavut MLAs wanted to know on the first day of the spring sitting.

According to the 2014-2015 Nunavut Emergency Management annual report, as of March 2015 all communities had completed a municipal emergency response plan, except for Kugaaruk and Pangnirtung, whose plans were listed as "pending." Sanikiluaq and Pond Inlet had been asked to update their plans.

Gjoa Haven MLA Tony Akoak asked Monday what is included in the plans and if they will be available to the public.

"These emergency measures plans more or less dictate who does what, what resources and equipment is available," said the Minister of Community and Government Services, Joe Savikataaq.

He said a good example was the power plant fire in Pangnirtung in April 2015.

"They had an emergency plan in place, people knew who was in charge of what, knew what equipment was available. The process of getting stuff done worked very well and very smoothly," he said.

Each community's plan is available at the hamlet office, said Savikataaq.

Keeping hazardous materials out of landfills  

Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu MLA Pat Angnakak focused her questions on emergency response to landfill fires, after the 2014 fire at the Iqaluit dump.

She pointed to a recommendation in the 2014-2015 Nunavut Emergency Management annual report that "every community have an emergency plan specific to landfill hazards and fires and that these plans be continually tested and evaluated."

Savikataaq said he assumes Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet, which also had a dump fire in the summer of 2014, would have shared their knowledge with other communities and with Community and Government Services staff.

"I don't think there's a specific thing on 'Hey, dump goes on fire? Do A, B, C and D'  but they've learned from past experiences and they will have a better idea on what to do. And maybe what not to do."

Angnakak pressed Savikataaq on what his department is doing to reduce hazardous materials in landfills.

He said most municipalities have come up with a way to deal with used car batteries, from putting them in a sea can or plastic container or other leak-proof containers until they can be disposed of.

He said they have not solved the problem of used oil, but some some hamlets and business have waste oil furnaces that can burn used oil.

"We also know that oil comes up to the North and other than the power corporation sending it south, I don't think anyone else sends used oil south. So that's another issue we're dealing with. It's not only unsafe but it's against the law to just dump oil on the ground."

Savikataaq said old cars are another problem as very few ever leave Nunavut and they're piling up in communities.

"We're trying to come up with a solution that's practical, feasible and affordable to deal with many issues of landfills. Because all the landfills are getting to capacity. This issue isn't going away," he said.

No inquest date for Baby Makibi

Justice Minister Keith Peterson said there is still no date for a coroner's inquest into Makibi Timilak's death.

The three-month-old baby died in April 2012 in Cape Dorset after a nurse allegedly refused to see him at the community's health centre.

In February, Nunavut's coroner announced an inquest will be held in Cape Dorset to examine his death.

Peterson also said there is no date set yet for the mandatory inquest after the in custody death of Adla Pudlat in Cape Dorset RCMP cells on May 20.

RCMP language training

Baker Lake MLA Simeon Mikkungwak asked Peterson if there are incentives for RCMP members to take part in Inuktitut language training while in Nunavut.

"Obviously there are very limited facilities and opportunities in all the communities," said Peterson.

"And I'm sure the chief superintendent, if he's listening in, would support me in saying that there are probably some incentives, something to encourage them to learn the language."

Peterson said officers are usually posted in Nunavut for just three to four years and it's very challenging to learn a language in a short period of time.

New president coming to a power corp near you

The Minister Responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation said a new president for the organization will be announced soon.

George Hickes said finding a new president has been on the front burner since he took over the portfolio six months ago.

"It has been a long and arduous task to fill the president's position at Qulliq Energy Corporation and I know the work that has been on going from the board and the acting president, Mr. Flaherty, has been exemplary."

Hickes said there are final negotiations to have that position filled and there will be an announcement in the very near future. He added the QEC board did make a recommendation but the person did not meet all the requirements to fill the role on a full-time basis.

The power corporation has been without a permanent president for close to a year after Alain Barriault was shuffled out of the position in June 2015.

He was in the job for nine months, replacing Peter Ma who was there for 10 months. Ma was appointed to the position after Peter Mackey was fired in November 2013.