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15th Jan 2019 – 18th Comment - Jimmy Pittiulaaq - Pond Inlet - Inuktitut
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Jimmy Pittiulaaq: I have been a chair for the HTO here, if you are NIRB listen to the people and not the company, even with theese consultations our voice are not being heard. this effects five communities and the plans are being changed so fast, hunters are not welcomed at the site. MLA is not in the loop.
Has been chair of the Board at HTO in 2011, dealt with these matters too and NIRB. First, he believes when government and company work together they are so tricky, they have made statements but they don’t listen to them at all. The company needs to have their proposal rejected. Company runs on money. They need to listen to Inuit, so they are not just used by the project. When you experience this, it hurts you inside.
They are being tricked for a long time, since Phase 1. Baffinland’s proposal was not to go through their land at all, it was to ship through. But they will just take advantage of them, this way he doesn’t want to approve the proposals anymore. This is a serious matter and they have so many years to do their mine. The five communities are not in a great situation, but these organisations that are trying to be partners like QIA are seriously misleading the community members. They say they are going with the people’s voice, and when people speak on the radio they disagree, but then QIA or whoever say we had agreed to the amendment to the proposals but community members had not agreed.
You as NIRB we urge you to reject the proposal. There are no benefits coming to the communities, and this is the second proposal where they say they will create a training center, but they will not do that. Gvt and company want us to follow their regulations, they can’t even go close. So many rules to follow. They have hunters up there and they are not welcome at all. They need to call Baffinland and ask them why the hunters are mistreated. Baffinland needs to respect them, especially because they have a very limited time in the year to go hunt in the mining are. Even their access is very limited. That’s why he wants the proposal to be rejected. He is asking if NIRB is working for Nunavut, or if they are like QIA, after the money.
Recommendations have never been met, they always fall short. Every time QIA comes here, they find a reason to agree to the proposal, and then they find a reason to make them agree to the proposal. Even (?) also doesn’t take into consideration their voice. Organisations like HTO and the hamlet need to be taken into consideration by NIRB. If you only take QIA’s side they will mislead you and Phase 2 will go ahead. Company and government pretend they have very strict rules while operating in Nunavut and NIRB needs to respect that.
