Category : News

The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre’s Board of Directors had planned to hold its Annual General Meeting for the 2019–2020 fiscal year on October 14, 2020, at Katittavik Town Hall in Kuujjuaq. But given the increase in COVID cases in the province, the directors closely analyzed the evolving situation as they wanted to ensure maximum safety for all stakeholders.

Mindful of everyone’s health conditions, the Board of Directors decided to exceptionally hold its Annual General Meeting for the fiscal year 2019–2020 electronically. This technology-based approach allows the organization to not only comply with its legal obligations as a non-profit organization, but also to contribute to keeping everyone safe, while, most of all, still being able to share last year’s great accomplishments. All members cast their ballot voting in favor of all three resolutions resolving that:

• 20201023-1/The Members approve the 2019–2020 financial statement.
• 20201023-2/Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton is appointed to audit the fiscal year 2020–2021 and carry out all its mandate for a total amount of $13,925.00, plus indexation.
• 20201023-3/The Members appoint Pamela Stevenson and Jeannie Calvin as Directors representing the population at large for a 3-year term.

Individual packages were sent in October to all nine members’ presidents and executive directors. Isuarsivik’s Board of Directors want to thank them for their collaboration and continuous support, namely the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the Kativik Regional Government, the Makivik Corporation, the Qarjuit Youth Council, the Northern Village of Kuujjuaq, the Avataq Cultural Institute, the Inuulitsivik Health Centre—Nunavik-Hudson Bay, the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services.

Back in March 2020, Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre’s Continued Care Services Department reacted quickly to the current pandemic by developing a Virtual Aftercare Project. This Project would allow guests who have completed the 42-days healing program to obtain remote post-treatment follow-up and support.

This project aims to enable the organization to scale up its regional impact and develop the overall continuum of care for its guests. Ultimately, this initiative shall improve the quality of care Isuarsivik strives to provide from a multi-level perspective. It is anticipated that pre-care and post-care will improve the recovery rates, and result in a better client experience.

During the summer, the team focused on research to find the best virtual platform given the region’s limited technology infrastructure and capacity as well as best practices and regulations regarding safety measures and protocols. They also shared knowledge with Wanaki Center, Walgwan, Innulicare, On the Wagon, Hasu Counselling and Northern Counselling and Therapeutic Services to better understand their virtual programming, their preferred platform, their challenges, their approach, and their response to safety and confidentiality.

To validate Isuarsivik’s findings and to assess the former guest’s challenges and needs after completing the inpatient program, the team ran an in-depth survey among Isuarsivik’s former guests. Close to 10% of 2017–2020 guests took part in the survey by phone. The results are very informative!

We learned, among other things that the main challenges that former guest’s face after completing treatment are the proximity of family members or friends who drink, and their cravings to consume. However, almost all former guests stated that they have better control over their substance use since attending the Isuarsivik program. Three former guests out of four believe their recovery journey would have been smoother if a continuum of care was provided by Isuarsivik, and almost all former guests stated they would be interested in accessing virtual care services from within their communities if and when these services become available.

The majority of the respondents also stated that they would feel more comfortable to speak on the phone with a counsellor rather than by videocall or chat messages. We are grateful to our former guests for taking the time to let us know about their experience after the inpatient program.

Those results will guide the Continued Care Services Department in the coming phases of the Virtual Aftercare Project in 2021 and 2022, which are the development of the virtual services, and their launching and assessment.

September is the National Recovery Month. In 2020, Isuarsivik wanted to promote this important movement by showing support to all those in recovery. And because recovery is a growing process, Isuarsivik organized a plant sale.

From September 1 to 15, people living in Kuujjuaq and Puvirnituq had the opportunity to pre-order a 3-inch plant for only $40.00 to help the growth of recovery and to make a difference for Isuarsivik’s development projects. For each purchase, $25.00 was considered as a direct donation to the Centre. A total of $1,725 was raised and more than 80 people are now enjoying a new addition to their home. Among them, 10 were Isuarsivik’s former guests. They were surprised by a plant that shows support to their recovery journey, a generous donation from 10 individuals who intentionally bought a plant to be offered to one of our former guests.

We are amazed by the support we received from all corners of the region to all those in recovery. We want to thank Saqijuq for having promoted this new initiative and distributed the plants in Puvirnituq. A special thanks to the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and the Northern Village of Umiujaq who bought 20 and 10 plants respectively to distribute within their organization and community to raise awareness.

This is what we call a simple initiative with major impact.

It is with care and compassion that Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre is suspending its services related to substance use recovery in Nunavik. The Centre’s services remain a vital need and a high priority in the region, but the quality of our services and the safety of our staff and guests are of the utmost importance. Without them, we can’t fulfill our mission.

“We know the impact of social distancing and isolation, as well as the decrease in stocks of alcohol available for sale, are additional stressors for our people with problematic substance use. This situation leads to deeper feelings of stress, sadness, anxiety, anger, or boredom. We are staying up to date with regional organizations and as soon as the restrictions are lifted, we will be ready to reschedule our next cycles and plan the welcoming of our guests,” confirmed Alicia Aragutak, Executive Director.

Since March 16, 2020, Isuarsivik has been supporting the decisions of the health care authorities and complying with all its recommendations  to control the pandemic in our region. Given the seriousness of the situation, Isuarsivik decided to close its facility and to temporarily offer its centre to NRBHSS for emergency needs in the region.

Concretely, the upcoming women cycle scheduled in June and July is postponed until the region is given the green light to safely operate an inpatient program. As for the other sessions scheduled this fall, dates will be readjusted when the reopening of the centre is confirmed. In preparation of the next cycle, we have a plan to sanitize the centre, instill new safety and healthy measures for both staff and guests, and ensure quality and safety for everyone.

In reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak, Isuarsivik has been proactive by initiating its first project under the Continued Care Services Division. Former Isuarsivik guests can now join a virtual peer support group called Isuarsivik Recovery Aftercare to connect and share resources amongst a community of peers in recovery. In addition, Isuarsivik launched a social campaign on Facebook in support of all those confined in their homes and living with trauma. As part of this initiative, we have put together a series of messages inspired by Inuit ancestors’ values to share compassion and nurture good faith for the difficult weeks to come.

Isuarsivik team is still connected and can be reached by email for any questions or follow-up on ongoing projects.

Last fall, Isuarsivik announced that it had secured $40.5m to build the new main facility and 12 housing units for staff. As planned, the call for tenders for the construction of the main facility was launched in early January 2020. On February 17, the Committee opened and reviewed the bids, and then confirmed the lowest compliant bidder to be Les Construction Pépin et Fortin Inc., a contractor with a solid experience in Nunavik.

The contract was supposed to be awarded the following weeks, but the COVID-19 outbreak forced us to postpone the signature of the contract. We had to engage in an extensive risk analysis while the construction sector was locked for several weeks. To enable Isuarsivik to take an informed position in this very complex situation, we’ve been in close communication with actors of the construction industry, legal advisors, regional organizations that are promoting construction projects, and our partners from all levels of government.

Taking into account the perspective of all parties, we finally awarded the construction contract to Les Constructions Pépin et Fortin Inc. on April 16, 2020. This date became an important milestone in Isuarsivik’s history because its dream is finally getting closer to becoming a reality.

Our project team and the contractor are working very hard to ensure everything is in place to start construction this summer, while respecting the increased safety measures adopted to protect the workers and the population of Nunavik. However, considering the uncertainties regarding the re-opening of the Nunavik region to the construction workers, Isuarsivik is working with its partners on a contingency plan to ensure the success of the project despite the current complex situation.

Isuarsivik would like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of some individuals who have played a major role in this contract-awarding process, namely:

• Its Board Members; Dave Forrest, Mary Aitchison, Martha Greig, Shirley White Dupuis, Steven Kelly, Sean McDonald, Charlotte Perret, Minnie Maali Snowball, and Louisa Kuananack
• Its executive director, Alicia Aragutak
• Its development plan coordinator, Philippe-Alexandre Bourgouin
• Its construction project manager, Maxime Héroux
• The Council of project partners, Adamie Delisle Alaku, Silas Watt, Michael Gordon, Patrick Beauchesne, Yannick Larouche-Tremblay, Dave Forrest, and Mary Aitchison
• Its legal advisor, Jean-François Arteau

Thanks to the incredible power of word of mouth, we received a surprise contribution to help the cause of healing in Nunavik. In early March 2020, Desjardins made a $5,000 donation to the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre to support the Pingngupaa Challenge, which took place last February in Nunavik.

This generous donation came as a nice surprise on a Wednesday morning in the form of a cheque, delivered by Clara Morrissette-Boileau, an employee of the Kativik Regional Government. Her brother Antoine, a Desjardins partner, explains, “Every year, Desjardins, in partnership with Freedom International Brokerage, donates a portion of its investment profits to a cause chosen by a Desjardins employee. And this year, I was the lucky one designated to choose the cause!” In a telephone interview, he stressed how he always had a strong interest in Nunavik and the Inuit people. That’s why he wanted to take this opportunity to make a small difference in the lives of people in need. “When I asked my sister to name organizations that play a key role in the region, she immediately told me about Isuarsivik and I was quickly charmed by the cause,” says Antoine.

Isuarsivik would like to warmly thank the Morrissette-Boileau family as well as Desjardins’s team for their trust and for contributing to the Centre’s mission.

Isuarsivik is a registered charity. We therefore accept donations from companies who wish to help making the Centre’s services more accessible to the 14 communities of Nunavik. Donations will also be used to buy equipment to support the cultural component of our new Centre’s programs.

A social campaign in support of all those in Nunavik confined in their homes living with intergenerational trauma.

To protect ourselves and our loved ones, we must avoid visiting other people or receiving them into our own homes as much as possible. It’s important to respect our health organizations’ regulations and advice. They’re in the best position to know how to keep us protected during this outbreak.

Now, living in an overcrowded home within an already isolated region can certainly cause a lot of stress and anxiety. It’s important to take care of our physical and mental health during this time of crisis.

At Isuarsivik, our team is experienced and trained. We can help people in needs to better manage the current situation with minimal consequences. Since we know that Nunavimmiut are at home and connected to social media, we decided to make the most of the relationship with our new friend, Inutsiaq and our Facebook community. Indeed, we put together a series of messages aimed at sharing compassion and nurturing good faith for the difficult weeks to come.

“Inuit ancestors have paved the way with resiliency; setting their mind and soul right in order to overcome uncertain days, weeks and sometimes months. They learned to ground themselves with their values and traditions to survive the harshest of circumstances, and it’s imperative to relate to them in order to find strength and cope during difficult and stressful times”, shared Paul Robertson, Isuarsivik’s Program Manager.

All messages are created with the great support of our recovery team composed of Paul Robertson, Ealasie Simigak, Maria Robertson, Shawn Morin, and Rebecca Kasudluak.

To view all messages >>>

February 4, 2020, the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq Post-Secondary Students organized a one of a kind event to support the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre: the Cycle to End the Cycle initiative.

In conjunction with the College Montmorency and John Abbott College, post-secondary students from Kativik Ilisarniliriniq organized a simultaneous indoor cycle-a-thon between both schools. Inspired by Hannah’s Journey Across Canada, the project was part of the 2020 National Suicide Awareness Week. It focused on mental health awareness with activities such as traditional music and wellness. Over 70 students, teachers, and collaborators cycled between 1 to 2 p.m. in the two participating CEGEPs.

A total of $2,441 was raised in support of the Cycle to End the Cycle initiative and Isuarsivik. The event was very successful and emotional. Students of the Montmorency CEGEP ended the event by writing the names of those lost to suicide, followed by a moment of silence.

“We understand the importance of Isuarsivik’s mission to help healing and to strengthen the region. It was unanimous amongst all students: they had to cycle for the cause, for those in need of recovery,“ shared one of the students.

The Isuarsivik family wishes to address its more sincere thanks to both teams for initiating this project. “On behalf of my whole team, and especially our guests, thank you for your support and for giving space to the students, who don’t often have a platform to express and process all of what happens in our region. Nallina, nakurmiik from my core!”, gratefully stated Alicia Aragutak, Isuarisivik Executive Director.

On February 17, 2020, three NAV Canada employees welcomed Alicia Aragutak, Isuarsivik’s executive director, and Aputik Forrest, administration manager, in their distinctive work environment: the Kuujjuaq airport tower.

This visit was more than just a friendly gathering between NAV Canada and Isuarsivik. While they were there, Alicia Aragutak and Aputik Forrest received in person a special donation from the Flight Service Specialists team in Kuujjuaq, a contribution to the 2020 Pingngupaa Challenge.

The $2,000 donation is the result of a unique initiative of the employee of NAV Canada who, every year, raise funds for a local charity. This year, NAV Canada also donated youth hockey equipment to the communities of Nunavik.

“We are proud to contribute for the first time to Isuarsivik’s cause, which is to help Nunavimmiut heal from addictions and trauma, and access a healthier lifestyle,” stated Shawn Schliep, part of the Kuujjuaq FSS team.

“Hopefully, this initiative will have a snowball effect and will convince other companies or employees to donate this month as part of the Pingngupaa Challenge”, reiterate Schliep.

The whole Isuarsivik family would like to extend its appreciation to NAV Canada’s employees, and especially to its team based in Kuujjuaq.