Category : News

Isuarsivik’s Development Plan includes a recovery centre with 22 inpatient units, three fourplexes to lodge staff as well as a new road. The new recovery centre is still under construction, but the road and the first fourplex were built back in 2019 by Kautaq Construction and have been of great used since then.

Until recently, the construction of the remaining 2 fourplexes of this major project had not yet been confirmed…

Following the cancellation of the construction season in 2020 and the economic and societal uncertainties linked to the pandemic, the Council of Project Partners (CPP) preferred to play safe. They decided to delay the tender process for the 8-housing unit construction to revaluate the feasibility of the project after a year of construction of the main facility.

Meanwhile, the construction of the main facility resumed in the spring of 2021 and the project respected the construction schedule. During this critical time, Isuarsivik managed to secure additional funds from the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation to face the cost increase linked to the pandemic.

In late 2021, the CPP confirmed the overall budget and decided to launch the tender process for the remaining 8 housing units in January 2022.

In February 2022, Kautaq Construction Inc. was awarded the contract. The construction work is scheduled to start with the arrival of the first sealift in Kuujjuaq in July 2022 and should be completed by January 2023.

The 2 new fourplexes will be conveniently located in the Nuvuuk Bay area at a walking distance from the new Centre. The two buildings will be  bigger than the one built in 2019, with larger lodging units for our staff and their loved ones.

 The Pingngupaa Challenge continues to grow year after year and succeed with its month of sobriety throughout Nunavik. For its 5^th anniversary, the Challenge raised more than $45,000 and reunited over 220 participants from the region and beyond, all willing to experience a healthier lifestyle for 28 days. The Pingngupaa Challenge also gives participants the mental space necessary to reflect on the sacrifices and determinations it takes for Isuarsivik’s guests to begin a healing journey and stay sober during the 6-week program.

The enthusiasm for this challenge motivates and inspires all participants to kick off the new year with healthy habits. During the whole month, Isuarsivik engaged with all participants  daily by posting inspiring and useful messages in the private Facebook group for Pingngupaa participants.

•  “It has been a fun month. I got so much sewing done on weekends too!” — Ittuvik Saviadjuk Paquet
• “It’s been 11 weeks that I haven’t drink alcohol I’m so happy and proud of myself I did it for my kids —Victoria Ittuk
• “Hi i want to say to all my fellow participants for the challenge we made it and let’s celebrate what we did to be sober and i want to say i haven’t touched alcohol for eight and a half month and tomorrow will be ninth nakurmimarialuk for letting me join and hope to do this again god bless you all.” —Charlie Jobie Ekomiak
• “I have never gone this long without drinking alcohol in a long time… The craving is still there but has become more bearable as the days pass. Having done this with my spouse has made it a lot easier, without her support I know, I would have not gone this long…” —Eric Atagotaaluk

The Pingngupaa Committee wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to its ‘Recovery Champions’ who made the 2022 Challenge a wonderful edition:

A special thanks to TLS Nunavik, a strong ally to the Challenge who provided promotional material and gifts designed by Tania Mesher Inaarualik. They also shared a variety of motivational messages on the Facebook group weekly.

The Committee is also very proud to have received inspiring words from strong supporters, namely Charlie Okpik, Elisapie and Pita Ataami. Thank you to you three!

The annual draw amongst participants and sponsors is scheduled for March 28, 2022 and will be broadcast live on the Isuarsivik Facebook page.

The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre is thrilled to see the construction of the new centre coming along. Since October, many communities of Nunavik, including Kuujjuaq, have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. Despite the complexity of managing a worksite in Nunavik during these uncertain times and increased sanitary measures, Pépin-Fortin managed to keep on schedule.

Since material and equipment were shipped to Kuujjuaq in 2020, Les Constructions Pépin-Fortin Inc. was able to start construction work for the main facility in May 2021. The contractor started by building the concrete foundation of the new Centre, which then enabled subcontractors to erect the steel structure and install the roof. In the fall, the exterior walls were raised as well as some interior partitions.

During Isuarsivik’s Annual General Meeting, partners had the chance to visit the construction site and admire the stunning site overlooking the Koksoak River where guests will be welcomed.

As of early December, all windows and doors have been installed and we can now close the building envelope. Now that the building is protected from the whims of the weather, the construction season is pausing until early April 2022.

In parallel, Landscape Architect Mousse, with the support of Isuarsivik staff, has started to design the plans for the landscape around the new Centre to maximize the therapeutic impact of the magnificent natural surroundings and create a stimulating playground for families attending the Centre.

Additionally, Isuarsivik will launch, in early 2022, the tender process for the remaining eight housing units for staff. Construction work for these units should start in July 2022 and be completed in early 2023.

With the goal of creating a strong symbolic art piece representing Isuarsivik’s values and mission to welcome guests in our new Centre, a project to create a Qullialuk, or giant Qulliq, was born. The Qulliq, a traditional Inuit soapstone lamp that provides warmth and light, was chosen for its strong symbolic value, especially in the context of healing. It conveys a feeling of safeness, warmth, resiliency, hospitality, and intimacy which are all essential elements for individuals and families who wish to progress on their healing journey.

The Qullialuk Committee was formed to select artists who are going to be creating this giant Qulliq and to oversee its design and realization. It is composed of a majority of Inuit with representatives from Isuarsivik’s board of directors and the clinical team as well as from Avataq Cultural Institute and Evoq Architecture.

This project will be realized by Mattiusi Iyaituk, an established artist from Ivujivik, and Benjamin Isaac, an up-and-coming professional artist from Salluit. They will be collaborating, sharing, learning from, and teaching each other to achieve this technically challenging sculpture. This intergenerational effort will symbolize the cultural foundation of Isuarsivik’s healing work through their shared vision of the artwork for anyone entering the new installation.

The whole process will be documented on video, which will become part of the storytelling around the creation of the Qullialuk. The video will disseminate the project’s goals, process, challenges, and successes with the population of Nunavik, stakeholders, and other artists from the North looking for inspiration.

The artists will realize most of the work in Kuujjuaq since there is no appropriate place to manage such a big stone in their home communities. They will make several trips to Kuujjuaq to complete the work over several months.

During these stays, Qulliq carving workshops will be held with clients of the current center. The resulting exchanges should feed into the Qulliq creation process by helping artists develop a deep understanding of the hopes and challenges of people in recovery. Clients will work on their own Qulliq to take home. Their Qulliq will become part of their storytelling around their recovery process.

Other workshops will also introduce youth and residents of Kuujjuaq to the art of carving and provide participants with unique access to professional artists. The unveiling of the artwork will be part of a large community event to promote Inuit art, culture, and healing.  These two initiatives will hopefully help to mobilize the community around the project and highlight the link between culture, art, healing, and reconciliation.

We are very eager to hear back from Canada Council for the Arts in October as their funding would secure this project’s future and give the green light for the artists to start working on the project.

From June 14 to 18, the Avataq Cultural Institute team carried out a preventive archeology survey on a site located on a small rocky point below the construction site of Isuarsivik’s new Centre. In all likelihood, this is a small occupation site linked to the Maritime Archaic, an Amerindian archaeological cultural tradition present in the Kuujjuaq region between 5000-3500 years before today. Among the artifacts discovered, a small chert arrowhead has been unearthed.

This project was carried out thanks to the support and collaboration of the Northern Village of Kuujjuaq, Nayumivik Land Holding, the Avataq Cultural Institute and Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre.

We hope to be able to increase the extent of our partnership and support Avataq in other similar projects near our new Centre in the future.

We are very excited to announce that Dolly Mesher, our Community Addictions Counsellor in Puvirnituq, will be integrating Isuarsivik Continued-Care services into the Puvirnituq Summer Camp program, a local initiative run by community members for the past 25 years.

As a way for teenagers and adults of Puvirnituq to regain their culture and knowledge of the land, learn how to harvest and encourage community sharing of food, this summer camp was created and has been run mainly by Carole Beaulne and her life partner, Paulusi Nolvalinga since its creation. Having a zero-tolerance for alcohol consumption and focusing on reclaiming Inuit culture and traditional knowledge, it aligns itself very well with Isuarsivik’s values and approach.

During their stay at the camp, guests sleep in tents that were made by the hosts themselves. All the food caught is shared equally with all participants and the community when the crew gets back to Puvirnituq. The program is very well received by the community at large, Elders and community members are always very happy to hear that the group is coming back. They greet the participants at their arrival and are pleased to take home processed country food brought back by the group.

During this trip, women are taught how to properly clean skins and handle harvested meats. Men are taught how to hunt, fix their equipment, journey on the land and are told about the history of the land they are hunting in. Akinisie Sivuaraapik, a local throat singing artist, will also join the group to teach drum dancing and throat singing. The participants will be able to showcase their learning during a show planned at the end of the camp. Dolly will now also be actively participating in the programming of the camp by leading Isuarsivik-specific activities with the participants.

For this year’s edition of the Puvirnituq Summer Camp, participants will leave by the end of July and will be gone for a total of three weeks. We are extremely happy to be able to bring Isuarsivik guests along to further support them on their personal journey. This is a perfect example of the impact potential and the synergy between Isuarsivik community counsellors and local community-led initiatives. We are eager to further develop each community’s network and provide community members with additional resources to encourage a healthy lifestyle and limit the impacts of substance abuse in the region.

On Wednesday, February 17^th, the first six weeks healing cycle will begin, starting the healing journey of nine women who have been waiting to receive support. After an almost one-year closure of our services, Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre is pleased to unveil its official 2021 Healing Calendar. This year, the Centre will host five cycles in total, three for women and two for men, for a total of 45 guests by the end of the present year.

The one-year closure of our services combined with a prolonged period of isolation and stress was hard on our waiting list. Indeed, the need for recovery services and resources is growing in the region for people who not only want to stop consuming, but also aim to reduce the amount and frequency of use.

If you are interested in our services or know someone who would, apply as soon as possible on our online platform at https://isuarsivik.ca/application-form/. All applicants will be added to the waiting list and the date of their application will be considered in the selection process. If they are admitted, they will receive a confirmation by email, and they should hear from us one month prior to the beginning of the next cycle.

The Isuarsivik management team has been preparing for the reopening of its services since September 2020 with the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services. In fact, the team implemented its Reopening Plan that now includes a revised version of the protocols as well as an Infection Prevention and Control Plan. All documents were approved by the regional health authorities, certifying that Isuarsivik has implemented the best protective measures in order to safely reopen its services to all 14 communities of Nunavik, protecting employees and guests.

At all times, applicants can reach out to intake@isuarsivik.ca to follow up on their application process or to receive assistance to fill out the application form.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign is well on its way across Nunavik. The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre is thus patiently and eagerly awaiting the regional and municipal decisions to reopen the construction season in Kuujjuaq this summer. The contractor, Les Constructions Pépin et Fortin Inc., who was awarded the contract for the construction of the main building in April 2020, was able to ship certain materials and equipment required for the construction of the new facility last summer. In fact, all our teams are ready and excited to finally begin the work as soon as the warmer season sets in. The beginning of the new facility’s construction in 2021 will allow the organization to move into the new facility in the fall 2022 and welcome its first guests in 2023.

The construction of a new recovery centre in Kuujjuaq is a fully funded $40.6M project. It will enable the organization to triple its hosting capacity and include new and much-needed services, such as a family healing program and services for pregnant women.

The construction of the main facility was set to start in the summer of 2020, but the municipality of Kuujjuaq decided to delay all major construction projects due to COVID. The postponement of Isuarsivik’s project impacted the construction cost of the main facility and remaining eight housing units to lodge staff.

The most recent estimate assessed the additional costs related to the postponement and increased sanitary measures at $1.6M over the original construction budget. Isuarsivik has secured half of this amount already thanks to additional contributions from regional and federal partners. Amongst them, Indigenous Services Canada confirmed an extra contribution of $500,000 to the $6M already allocated for the construction project.

We are awaiting responses from the Government of Quebec and Makivik Corporation in the coming weeks regarding requests we have made to obtain more funding.

We expect to confirm shortly the full amount needed to cover the cost increase linked to the one-year postponement of the construction project.

Every year during the month of February, participants from all over the Nunavik region challenge themselves to cease drinking alcohol for 28 days. The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre hopes to initiate change by showing participants the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, while helping its own cause to enhance Nunavimmiut inner strength and wellbeing through holistic and culturally sensitive healing programs.

Initiated four years ago, the reach of this month-long challenge has grown exponentially, leading to the enthusiasm we can witness today. This year’s edition has seen unexpected participation with a total of 265 participants, a 56% increase since last year! Work teams from organizations such as EVOQ Architecture, NERGICA, and Jaanimarik School have also joined the Challenge for the first time, cooperating to lead by example and raise awareness around substance abuse and addiction.

Isuarsivik hopes to reach a total of $50,000 through sponsorship donations, donations from organizations, and private fundraising campaigns. All funds will go to Isuarsivik to help make the Centre’s services more accessible to the 14 communities of Nunavik as well as to provide the new Centre with the equipment and accessories necessary to support its cultural mission.

If you want to make a contribution to the Pingngupaa Challenge, visit Isuarsivik.ca/donate/!