Rankin Inlet passed over in survey of government services: council

The hamlet council in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, says it was not consulted by a group that's preparing a report card on the Nunavut government's performance.

The territorial government has asked Yukon-based North Sky Consulting Group topoll Nunavummiut, asking them what they think of the government's programs and services.

North Sky's GN Report Card Project, also known as Qanukkanniq? meaning "What's next?" in the Inuktitut language visited all of Nunavut's communities throughout the month of June.

But in Rankin Inlet, officials say, the consultants poorly publicized and organized their visit there.

Mayor John Hickes said he had heard on the radio that North Sky was holding consultation meetings in other communities, but only learned of the Rankin Inlet meeting just as the consultants were leaving the local airport.

"It's an integral part of our community, to have consultants come in and do a report on the government," Hickes said.

"Nobody contacted directly to our hamlet office. That's not the way we do business, I don't think."

Project leader Piers McDonald said the consulting team did try to reach out to the hamlet.

"They visited the hamlet office three times while they were there and left their cards and information, but apparently there was no response at that time," McDonald said. "I think that the team did what it could while it was there.

"Having said that, people do have busy lives, and we understand that. And if they were unable to make contact before, they can certainly make contact now."

McDonald said that over the past month, the consultants conducted hundreds of interviews across Nunavut.

They will be submitting their findings to the territorial government on Oct. 1.