IQALUIT, NU November 20, 2003 - Members of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) elected its first permanent board of directors using the simple fax machine - a communication technology that every Nunavut resident can currently access.
The 150 NBDC members selected from 34 candidates competing for 7 available seats, by faxing or hand delivering completed ballots to an independent auditor in Iqaluit over the four days leading up to the November 18th AGM. Ballots were counted under the scrutiny of auditors Mackay Landau at the completion of the AGM.

The new board includes Clare Basler of Cambridge Bay, Adamee Itorcheak of Iqaluit, Robert McLean of Sanikiluaq, George Metuq of Iqaluit, Billy Palluq of Clyde River, Art Stewart of Cape Dorset, and Patrick Tagoona of Rankin Inlet. (See background paper attached with more detailed information on the board members.)
As Clare Basler, newly elected board member and former advisor to the NBDC says, "By this time next year, we aim to ensure every Nunavut resident has affordable access to broadband in their community. We hope to use broadband tools to connect our membership to participate in the AGM, and use electronic polling instead of fax to run the election of next year's board."

"The interest and participation from the membership was overwhelming -- with over 45% of the 150 members taking the time to read the long document about the 34 candidates, and cast their ballot. I think the new board has a powerful mandate from the membership to go forward ensuring broadband is delivered at affordable prices to every Nunavut community," says Lorraine Thomas, Project Manager with the NBDC.

NBDC By-laws provide for two more directors to be appointed - one from the Government of Nunavut and one from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. These appointments are pending.

The AGM was held from 11:00 to 12:45 EST on November 18th. A total of 36 members (24%) of the organization attended - 17 in Iqaluit connecting to 19 other members by audioconference from Cambridge Bay, Cape Dorset, Coral Harbour, Igloolik, Kimmirut, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Rankin Inlet, and Sanikiluaq. Additional members from Cambridge, Clyde River and Pond Inlet were also in attendance at the Iqaluit site.

For more information contact:
Lorraine Thomas, Project Manager www.nunavut-broadband.ca
Ph. (867) 979-1303, fax (867) 979-1508 email: lorraine@nunanet.com

Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation
Board of Directors, Elected November 18, 2003

Clare Basler, (Cambridge Bay)
Mr. Basler has a long history of successful initiatives in working for access to the Internet for residents in the Kitikmeot region. Instrumental in starting Polarnet (www.polarnet.ca), Mr. Basler went on to be a founding member of the Nunavut Broadband Task Force, and then became a key advisor for the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation in developing the organization. Mr. Basler's participation on the NBDC board ensures a strong background knowledge of the issues and continuity for the success of NBDC. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Kitikmeot Corporation.

Adamee Itorcheak, (Iqaluit)
Mr. Itorcheak is President of Nunanet Worldwide Communications Ltd., (www.nunanet.com), a company he founded in 1995. Nunanet is the first and largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Nunavut Territory. Mr. Itorcheak began his career with Bell Canada in the early 1980's and has remained involved ever since in all aspects of the communications industry. He sat as the Nunavut representative on the National Broadband Task Force, and sat on the Advisory Committee to the NBDC. He is very active in a number of community activities and sits on the Board of Directors of First Air, the largest independent airline servicing Canada's North.

Robert McLean, (Sanikiluaq)
Mr. McLean has served as an Advisor to the NBDC for the past 9 months, participating in meetings by audio teleconference. He moved to Sanikiluaq 20 years ago, originally moving there to be Co-op Manager. After 8 years at the Co-op he then worked for 10 years as the Observer/Communicator at the local airport. Over the past 3 years, he has been an Adult Educator at Nunavut Arctic College, delivering courses such as Office Management, ABE, and Introduction to Computers. He is the manager of two Inuit owned companies - Soapstone Artists of Sanikiluaq at www.soapstoneartists.com, (an online Internet store working to find new markets for Sanikiluaq carvings), and a local ISP (Sanny Internet) started to provide businesses, government and the public access to the Internet through local dial-up.

George Metuq, (Iqaluit)
Mr. Metuq is an electronic technologist. He has an extensive background in radio communications, broadcasting, and has done some satellite work with Telesat. As an electronic technologist, he has done a lot of wiring of a wide range of electronics equipment. Mr. Metuq is the sole owner of an Inuit company providing audio-visual and radio communications services, specializing in setting up permanent teleconference systems with multi-language capability. He is interested in using his experience to help NBDC ensure the most efficient way of delivering broadband across Nunavut.

Billy Palluq, (Clyde River)
Mr. Palluq graduated from Nunavut Arctic College's 2 year Management Studies Program in Iqaluit after graduating from Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit. In the past, he has worked at Kakivak Association as a Projects Officer in Business Development, an EDO and Assistant SAO in Clyde River, and a Constituency Assistant for the MLA. He is currently the Community Economic Development Officer for the Municipality, and also owns a small business running movie rentals. Mr. Palluq sees that most needs in Clyde River are met not by government, but by small business owners or Inuit organizations. Mr. Palluq is interested in ensuring communities like Clyde River (which has recently installed a new cable TV service through the Aarruja Development Corporation), obtain high speed services too.

Art Stewart, (Cape Dorset)
Mr. Stewart has worked at the Hamlet of Cape Dorset for 5 years, and has been SAO for the past 2.5 years. As SAO, he is responsible for everything from taking complaints on dogs to managing payroll and municipal works. He is on the board of the Nunavut Employees Benefits Services Board, and he is President of the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators as well as the Municipal Training Organization. Mr. Stewart was instrumental in starting a local ISP in Cape Dorset. They formed a partnership with Northwestel to bring dial-up to Cape Dorset a year ago, and has provided great savings to all businesses and individuals. His background in finance will help ensure broadband is delivered to all communities in a cost-effective manner, drawing on his wide range of experiences as SAO.

Patrick Tagoona, (Rankin Inlet)
Mr. Tagoona runs a private training and consulting company, Kiggavik Services. One of the primary services offered is computer training. Prior to joining the private sector, he worked for many years in the field of sports and recreation. As the first Director of Sport Nunavut, he undertook the task of setting up this new division and managed Nunavut's participation in the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. He has lived for extended periods in Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake, and Iqaluit and has visited all but two communities in Nunavut. He was an elected Hamlet Councillor in Baker Lake and presently sits on the Rankin Inlet District Education Committee. He has a good grasp of technologies and the benefits that can be derived from its use. Nunavut has been provided with an opportunity that he is very interested in being involved in.