Advertisement

No fuel delivery in Sanikiluaq over weekend as all 3 trucks break down

Sanikiluaq went without fuel delivery services for two days over the weekend as all three of its fuel delivery trucks were out of service.

In Nunavut's legislative assembly Monday, Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt ​said Sanikiluaq's last functioning fuel truck broke down on Friday, which meant no deliveries to homes, government buildings, the airport and airplanes.

Community and Government Services Minister Tom Sammurtok said a mechanic was sent to the community on Sunday and the main fuel truck is working now.

But Rumbolt wants to know why the situation was allowed to get so bad.

"Three trucks don't break down in one day," he said. "It happens over a period of time. I'm sure there's a reporting process in place so the government knows the state of repairs in the community."

Sammurtok blames the breakdowns on the cold winter many communities have been experiencing and said keeping the trucks maintained is up to the contractors.

"The contractors have the responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are kept running," he said. "They're responsible for preventative maintenance."

Sammurtok said there have not been regular vehicle inspections. He said CGS is planning on hiring more staff to do community monitoring.