Art Sateana said it simply felt like it was time for a change when he decided to leave his position as manager of communications for the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) and join the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet as its new community economic development officer.
He said he absolutely loved what he did at the KIA but, at this point in time, he didn't feel he was the right individual for the position.
“A lot it was that I just felt a lot of things needed to be changed with the communications department I was in, and I wasn't the appropriate person to be making those changes,” said Sateana.
“I didn't think I had the experience nor the knowledge to be making those types of positional changes.
“In every aspect of the hamlet operations, it comes with a specific task of economic development incorporated within every program and service the hamlet offers. One of the things I'm looking at coming into the new year, after the Canada Post strike, obviously, is preparation for the upcoming Arctic Winter Games in 2026.
“I'm thinking of holding a passport drive for all the youth and eligible athletes who are going to be considered. We want to ensure that every individual has the appropriate documentation for identification, such as birth certificates, driver licences and general identification.”
In terms of what his new position can offer to the community, Sateana said he sees opportunities being limitless.
He said he can see Rankin Inlet growing a good deal in terms of economic expansion in the coming years and he wants to play an active role in helping that happen.
“To my knowledge, there's quite a significant amount of funding opportunities that are available, not only for the hamlet to be applying for and relaying that information accordingly to the residents of Rankin Inlet, but also for future opportunities in terms of what funding pots are available.
“It's just a matter of making sure that I familiarize myself with the availability of what's there, the reporting structures and the requirements of obtaining such funding.”
Sateana said there's some pots of funding for those looking to launch a new business. Currently, however, the hamlet is out of funding for this fiscal year, he noted.
“However, with that being said, one of my responsibilities in this position in that even though our pots of money might be fully allocated, that doesn't mean that I may or may not know other funding that specific businesses may be able to apply for.
“Typically, if an application is reviewed by the hamlet and it's something we would like to support, I do have information for a business on who to contact at different organizations such at the KIA [Kivalliq Inuit Association], Kivalliq Business Development Corp. or other funding agencies specific to business opportunities.
“Success is a team effort, and I would like to hear some direction from council and senior management in terms of what they would like to see achieved over the next year or so, just so I can have a work plan that I can work with that is realistic and, also, has achievable timeliness that I can work with.
“We can aim for the moon, but, ultimately, at the end of the day, it's really important that we ensure that we're realistic about the expectations and outcomes of any specific project.”
