Hamlet councillor who spoke out against Nunavut mine expansion ousted

A former hamlet councillor in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, believes he was ousted from council in part because he spoke out against the mayor and a controversial mine expansion project.

Boazie Ootoova was removed from hamlet council on May 5, Mayor Joshua Arreak confirmed to CBC News. But Arreak denies that it had anything to do with Baffinland's Mary River mine — rather, he says, Ootoova had simply missed too many council meetings.

Earlier, Ootoova had written a letter to the federal government accusing Arreak of bypassing council in January to "improperly" throw the town's support behind Baffinland's proposed Phase 2 expansion project. Ootoova wrote that he considered it his duty as a councillor to voice his concerns to the minister.

CBC News has requested the minutes from the May 5 hamlet council meeting when Ootoova was voted off council. 

Ootoova says he didn't hear anything about it until a few days ago. He says he had been in hospital in Ottawa for two months because of complications related to COVID-19, and returned home this week to discover he was no longer a councillor.

According to the hamlet, there was no way to reach Ootoova while he was away. Ootoova says he wasn't able to pay his phone bills while in Ottawa. 

Missed 3 meetings

Arreak said the decision was made because Ootoova had missed three consecutive council meetings. The mayor did not offer further explanation and declined a recorded interview with CBC News. 

But Ootoova suggests he may have been removed because he spoke up about the Baffinland project. 

Speaking to CBC News in Inuktitut, Ootoova said he spoke up for hunters and the people who voted for him. He said he doesn't mind being off council now because it means he can rest. 

The Baffinland project has been controversial in Pond Inlet, with some residents welcoming the jobs and benefits it promises while others worry about threats to wildlife and the environment, and the impact on traditional Inuit culture.

Arreak signed Pond Inlet's final submission in January to the board reviewing Baffinland's proposal. That letter endorsed the project, citing the money and benefits it will provide and the promises made by Baffinland to give Inuit a bigger role in further development.

Last week, the Nunavut Impact Review Board essentially sided with Ootoova, by recommending the expansion not go ahead. A final decision by Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal is exepcted in the coming weeks.