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Inuit town doesn't want to be linked to Canada by roadsThe people of Kuujjuaq, a town in the predominantly Inuit region of Nunavik in Northern Quebec, are telling Transport Quebec they're not ready to accept a ground transportation link with the south. Transport officials presented a pre-feasibility study at a town hall meeting in Kuujjuaq this week. The Quebec Government is looking to build a railway or a road to service the growing mining activity in the region. But at the meeting, speaker after speaker voiced concern about negative impacts the road could bring. Kuujjuaq Mayor Paul Parsons says it's clear Quebec has not consulted properly with the Inuit. "Obviously we have deep concerns and this is what I wanted to get across to the provincial government... there was not enough people consulted," said Parsons. Quebec says it could cost $1 billion to build a road to Kuujjuaq, and a lot more to build a railroad. The newly elected Makivik Corp. president, Jobie Tukkiapik, attended the meeting, as did Kativik Regional Government Chair Maggie Emudlak. This story is posted on Alaska Dispatch as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations. This is interesting vis-a-vis expected lifestyle and how to support it. What the article does not say is the cost of providing heating fuel, gas and modern snow machines, boats and motors. Is there an open port some months a year? How much does it cost to provide this modern life via a road compared to what they have now? One can count on transportation costs escalating as fuel costs mount. Soon perhaps, a possible $5.00 a gal gas could really inflate that delivery price. Is there a point where outposts will have to forgo modern life? Will it ever reach that point? How about just a fuel shortage that curtails deliveries? Good to think about these things in advance as it goes for Alaska too. Alaskan Native villages have been around since before the United States even came into existence. They will continue to be there in the future. Why does it matter to Alaskans??? Is that a serious question? This is an issue that will one day be facing the scores of currently road-less villages in Alaska. I live in one as a kassaq teacher. I've heard my neighbors talking about this same issue, arguing for and against. It will one day transform things in the bush, for better or worse. So YES, it matters. A lot more than a lot of the other stuff in the "news" these days. People need to figure out what they want, and the dialogue needs to happen. Thanks for making my argument for me. As you kindly pointed out the "dialogue" is already taking place. What the Canadians decide to do will not have any impact on us. BTW: You "White" teachers are not as smart as you think you are....It is spelled kass'aq and it is one of several hundred loan words from other languages. It is derived from the Russian word kazák or in English, Cossack. When someone calls you this they are not describing your color, they are describing your character. I suppose this is a issue between the Canadian government and the residents in the area. Why does any of this matter to readers of the Alaska Dispatch? Perhaps it is something that matters to one of your advertisers? |
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