Joe EnookSA国际影视传媒檚 death the evening of Friday, March 29 SA国际影视传媒� made public the next morning SA国际影视传媒� devastated his friends and colleagues, and saddened many Nunavummiut.

The following Monday, when the Nunavut Mining Symposium opened, it couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be business as usual. Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce president Victor Tootoo held a moment of silence before guest speaker Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz was introduced. A pained hush blanketed the room.

Minister of Finance George Hickes then stood before those assembled and spoke of Enook.

SA国际影视传媒淗e was a very close friend and itSA国际影视传媒檚 been a rough couple of days,SA国际影视传媒� said Hickes.

SA国际影视传媒淚 probably wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have been in cabinet, at least as early as I was, without his guidance and direction. He never took no for an answer. I said no many times about joining cabinet, and look where I am. Obviously, heSA国际影视传媒檚 very persistent and very loved.SA国际影视传媒�

Professional, polite, and stern, he never took no for an answer when he believed in something.

Enook was 15 years old when Fred Hunt, then an adult educator, met him in 1971.

SA国际影视传媒淚 travelled to Pond Inlet for the very first time with him on board the aircraft,SA国际影视传媒� said Hunt.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e been analyzing this friendship since his passing, trying to figure out what it was that was so special about him. ISA国际影视传媒檝e come to the conclusion that we were actually like brothers, even though he was quite half my age SA国际影视传媒� he was like my younger brother.SA国际影视传媒�

Hunt and Enook would go on to work together, building the Tununiq Sauniq Co-operative, then its hotel. Enook was the hotelSA国际影视传媒檚 first manager.

SA国际影视传媒淚 started pushing him, at a very young age, into the world of Inuit politics. I urged him to go as far as he could. When he became chairman of the board of the Baffin Divisional Board of Education, he was very, very proud of that. But I continually hammered at him that this was step one,SA国际影视传媒� said Hunt.

SA国际影视传媒淚 said, SA国际影视传媒楾his is step one, buddy. You can go all the way to Ottawa if you want to, and represent your people in the federal government.SA国际影视传媒� I never stopped pushing for that.SA国际影视传媒�

Hunt says what drove Enook was his passion for his community and his people.

SA国际影视传媒淗e was driven from a very young age to preserve the culture of the Inuit, and the language, and the way of life. He was very driven to dedicate his life to making sure that that was retained in whatever was going to happen. That thread ran through everything he did.SA国际影视传媒�

A time away from Pond Inlet

Enook first left Pond Inlet for Iqaluit in 1994. He worked at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. as president Jose KusugakSA国际影视传媒檚 executive assistant, then rejoined Hunt, who had taken on the task of turning the debt-laden Nunasi Corporation around. Enook would become vice-president of Nunavut operations, and head up the head office in Iqaluit. He also served on several boards.

Once a year, Enook returned to Pond Inlet to live a more traditional, relaxing way of life, according to Nunavut News archives.

SA国际影视传媒淚 try and do some Eskimo living for a couple of weeks every year,SA国际影视传媒� he said in August 2001.

SA国际影视传媒淚 go home, leave my cell phone behind and eat, sleep and hunt whenever I feel like it.SA国际影视传媒�

He also said: SA国际影视传媒淭here comes a point when you have to decide what you want to do. Sometimes you have to leave home to acquire a job or education. ISA国际影视传媒檓 honoured to be given that choice.SA国际影视传媒�

Hunt says, while he introduced Enook to a world of growth and change, Enook made sure Hunt stayed grounded in accomplishing positive change for Inuit.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had each other,SA国际影视传媒� said Hunt.

A defenceman at heart

Tununiq voters chose Enook as their representative in a September 2011 by-election. One campaign promise was that heSA国际影视传媒檇 move back to Pond Inlet. This he did, despite the fact he and his wife Mary Kilabuk had to live in a shack for quite some time. From then on, he repeatedly brought attention to the housing crisis in Nunavut.

Enook was re-elected in 2013 and 2017, and was subsequently named Speaker of the legislative assembly.

Veteran politician and Nunavut land-claim negotiator Paul Quassa first met Enook during the latterSA国际影视传媒檚 board of education days, and worked with Enook when he was a regular member, then Speaker.

SA国际影视传媒淚 admired him for his desire to speak Inuktitut only, even though he was bilingual,SA国际影视传媒� said Quassa, adding both as a regular member and as Speaker, Enook used his language.

SA国际影视传媒淗e truly was promoting that Inuktitut is a working language and we should use it every day.SA国际影视传媒�

Quassa also recalls Enook as welcoming, always making those around him comfortable, including in his distinctive way of carrying out his SpeakerSA国际影视传媒檚 duties.

SA国际影视传媒淓very morning heSA国际影视传媒檇 come around before we went into session, asking each and every one of us if we were going to do a memberSA国际影视传媒檚 statement or if we were going to ask a question,SA国际影视传媒� Quassa said.

SA国际影视传媒淗e always had this little piece of paper, and heSA国际影视传媒檇 go around with his SpeakerSA国际影视传媒檚 attire just before the session, and that was unique. In the previous Speakers, ISA国际影视传媒檝e never seen that. It was so welcoming, knowing that he cared.SA国际影视传媒�

Quassa calls Enook a true Tununiqmiut, who SA国际影视传媒渞epresented that constituency so well.SA国际影视传媒�

Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt agrees.

SA国际影视传媒淗e always put others before himself.  His main goal was to take care of his community and do what he felt was best for his community and secondly, what was best for the people of Nunavut. He worked hard that way,SA国际影视传媒� said Rumbolt.

The $41.2 million Pond Inlet small craft harbour project, currently under development, was his primary pursuit. He never took no for an answer on that matter either.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was something he fought for from day one. I thought heSA国际影视传媒檇 be barking up a tree trying to get one. He managed to convince the government it was a need for the community. Any opportunity he got he brought it up to whoever, whether it be ministers, whether it be to the federal government SA国际影视传媒� Whoever he talked to, the port was on his mind. All the time,SA国际影视传媒� said Rumbolt.

Rumbolt says Enook did not have qualms about advising fellow MLAs or letting them know when they were doing something wrong.

He loved hockey, and preferred to watch it live at the local arena rather than on TV.

Larry McGowan recalls his floor-hockey teammate much the same as described by the people in EnookSA国际影视传媒檚 professional life. They began playing together not long after Joamie School burned down in 2003.

SA国际影视传媒淲e kept it up for a few years and stayed friends ever since,SA国际影视传媒� said McGowan, who recalls the easy, friendly hugs Enook was always quick to give, right to the last time they saw each other, a month before Enook died.

SA国际影视传媒淗e was funny. When we were playing floor hockey, he didnSA国际影视传媒檛 mind telling people, making sure they were in the right position, making sure they did this, they did that. We had a special kind of relationship.SA国际影视传媒�

McGowan played goal, with Enook as his defenceman.