Though council is acclaimed with seven members, Rankin Inlet has two candidates for mayor in the Oct. 23 municipal election.
Incumbent mayor Harry Towtongie is running to hold his spot, citing unfinished business regarding the landfill as his main motivation.
“I’m not done dealing with the landfill,” he told Kivalliq News, saying that it has been a goal of his to tackle for a long time, but the hamlet has been sidetracked with the pandemic and challenges related to the beer and wine store. “It hurt me so much to see the land being damaged so much by our landfill, but we never had a chance to really deal with it.”
He’d like to see more equipment brought in to cut down on the waste and pollution stemming from the dump site.
“It’s out of control,” said Towtongie. “It’s a badly contaminated area. It’s an environmental disaster right now.”
He admitted to feeling burnt out at times during the last term, but when it came time to submit his candidacy, many Elders, youth and people of all stripes encouraged him to run again.
“I don’t know if I can make four years but I’m going to try,” said Towtongie. “I’m getting older. I can’t really work with my hands anymore, can’t do too much. At least I can maybe help this community grow some more or be a better place.”
Pizzo-Lyall has been on Rankin Inlet council coming on two years, with previous experience on Iqaluit’s city council. She is currently manager of operations at Atuqtuarvik Corporation and also ran for the Liberal Party in the 2019 federal election.
“In the last 10 to 15 years, I’ve been active in different roles within different organizations,” said Pizzo-Lyall. “I really enjoy the work that we do at the council level, whether it was with the Iqaluit council and now the Rankin Inlet council, and there’s still work to be done.”
That work includes the upgrades to Rankin’s utilidor and water infrastructure, the Nunavut 3,000 housing pursuit, and she’s especially vocal about mental health and addictions programming.
“I want to make sure that we’re strong in the communication area,” said Pizzo-Lyall, adding that she would plan to update the community regularly about hamlet pursuits to keep residents informed.
Towtongie said win or lose, he’ll be happy.
“I’ll support whoever gets in,” he said, adding that he’s glad Pizzo-Lyall is running.
“She’s very enthusiastic and really has lots of energy.”
Pizzo-Lyall would likely agree with that description.
“Something that I’ve been known for at council is being very vocal and very pushy to make sure that we’re advocating as much as we can,” she said. “I feel like when we all decide we want something, that I’m the kind of person that’s going to go out and help us achieve it.”
She said Towtongie has done a great job in the two years she’s been on council and that he’s a strong businessperson with a vision for Rankin Inlet.
“Rankin inlet is such a strong community,” said Pizzo-Lyall. “We deserve that kind of coverage. We deserve a strong leader that’s going to make sure things get done for Rankin Inlet.”
Towtongie thanked the outgoing council members.
“They did a big job,” he said about the last council. “They did a lot of work. Everybody has their own ways and different opinions but they were very good and a very bang-on council. I couldn’t have done almost anything without a good council.”
The municipal election will be held Oct. 23.
ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᕌᓂᒃᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ 7-ᖑᔪᑦ, ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᒪᐃᔭᒃᓴᖑᕋᓱᐊᖅᐳᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᐱᕆ 23−ᒥ ᓂᕈᐊᕐᓇᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥ.
ᒪᐃᔭᖓᑦ ᒫᓐᓇ ᕼᐃᐅᕆ ᑕᐅᑐᖏ ᒪᐃᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᒃᑲᓐᓂᕋᓱᐊᖅᐳᖅ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᐊᓂᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒃᑕᕐᕕᒃᓴᒥᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ.
“ᐊᒃᑕᕐᕕᒃᓴᖅ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᖏᓐᓇᒃᑯ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᓂᐱᕗᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᒍᒪᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᕋᖅᖢᓂᐅᒡᓗ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓕᖅᑐᒥ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕆᐊᖃᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ. “ᐋᓐᓂᕐᓇᕐᒪᑦ ᑕᑯᑉᓗᒍ ᓄᓇ ᓱᕈᖅᑎᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒃᑕᕐᕕᑉᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᒪᖏᓐᓇᑉᑎᒍ.”
ᑕᑯᒍᒪᑉᓗᓂᓗ ᐱᖁᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑕᓗᐊᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᒍᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑎᕆᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑕᕐᕕᒃ ᓱᕈᖅᑎᕆᓗᐊᕐᒪᑦ.
“ᐅᖓᑖᓄᐊᓗᐊᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐅᑐᖏ. “ᓱᕈᖅᓯᒪᔪᒻᒪᕆᐅᖕᒪᑦ ᐊᒃᑕᕐᕕᒃ. ᐊᕙᑎᒧᑦ ᐱᐅᖏᓕᖅᑎᕆᖏᒪᑦ.”
ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᖃᓯᒪᖃᑦᑕᕋᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᐃᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᓂᕈᐊᒐᒃᓴᖑᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᒐᒃᓴᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᖁᔭᐅᑉᓗᓂ ᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᓪᓗ.
ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᓯᑕᒪᓄᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕋᔭᕐᒪᖔᕐᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑐᖓ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐆᒃᑐᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖓ,” ᑕᐅᑐᖏ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᐃᓪᓇᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᕋᒪ. ᐊᒡᒐᒃᑲ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᖏᓕᕋᒪ, ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᔪᓕᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᑉᓗᖓ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᖢᖓ ᓄᓇᑉᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᑦᓯᐊᖁᑉᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓴᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᓄᓇᒥᖕᓂ.”
ᐃᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓄᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᒃᑯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖑᕋᓱᐊᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᓕᐳᕈᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓇᓱᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ 2019-ᒥ.
“ᐅᑭᐅᓂ ᖁᓕᓂ ᖁᓕᓪᓗ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓪᓗᖑᔪᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ, ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᖃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᖢᑕ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᓂ,” ᐱᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᖁᕕᐊᒋᑦᓯᐊᖅᐸᕋᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑎᒃᑲ, ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᒃᑯᓐᓂᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᑐᕐᓗ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓂ, ᓱᓕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ.”
ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᑖᖑᖅᑎᖅᑕᐅᒋᐊᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᓱᑉᓗᓕᖏᑦ ᐃᒪᖃᐅᑎᖏᓪᓗ, ᓄᓇᕗᒥ 3,000−ᓂᒃ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᐅᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑖᖅᐸᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐃᕆᒍᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᕕᒃᑕᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ.
“ᓴᓐᖏᖁᔨᓪᓗᖓᓗ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᑎᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ, ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑎᒍᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᑎᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒥᐅᑦ.
ᑕᐅᑐᖏ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕈᓂ ᓵᓚᐅᒍᓂᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᖢᓂ.
“ᑭᓇᒥᐊᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᕐᓂᐊᖅᐸᒃᑲ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒡᓂᕋᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐱᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓇᓱᐊᖃᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ.
“ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᓯᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᒍᒪᒃᑲᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐆᒻᒪᕆᒃᖢᓂᓗ.”
ᐱᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᖏᕋᔭᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓗᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓗᓂ.
“ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᖓ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᒐᔪᒃᐳᖓ ᓂᐱᖃᒃᑲᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔭᐅᖅᑎᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᒍᒪᓗᐊᒧᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒐᒪ ᑕᒪᑉᑕ ᐱᒍᒪᓪᓗᐊᕕᒃᑯᑦᑕ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᒃᑯᑦᑕᓗ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑕᐅᒐᔭᖅᐳᖓ ᐱᒍᒪᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ.”
ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᑕᐅᑐᖏ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᓯᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ ᓴᓐᖏᔫᑉᓗᓂᓗ ᐱᔅᓂᔅᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᖅᑰᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᖁᔨᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ.
“ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ ᓴᓐᖏᔫᖕᒪᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᔪ−ᓚᐃᔪ. “ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᒋᐊᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ. ᓴᓐᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᖃᕐᓗᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᓕᓂᕐᒥ.”
ᑕᐅᑐᖏ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓂ.
“ᐊᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᖢᓂ. “ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᓚᐅᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᒍᓯᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᖏᑦᓯᐊᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᑲᑎᒪᔨᑦᓯᐊᖃᕐᓗᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᕋᔭᓚᐅᖏᑉᐳᖓ ᑭᓯᕐᒥᐅᕐᓗᖓ.”
ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓂᕈᐊᕐᓇᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒃᑐᐱᕆ 23-ᖑᓕᖅᐸᑦ.