Our vision, mission
and values

Then, in 1995, in response to growing needs in the region and the desire for a culturally sensitive program, Makivvik and Johnny Adams, the mayor of the northern village of Kuujjuaq, joined forces to create a community-based organization in Kuujjuatuqa (Old Chimo).

Thanks to the expertise and dedication of Dr. Thomas Gordon Brown and his team at Pavillon Foster, an English-language program specializing in addictions was created. This program was available to Kuujjuamiut only and in an outpatient setting.

As the years passed, it became increasingly clear to the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and Makivvik Corporation that Isuarsivik’s services were needed for people across the region.

It was time to provide more services to people dealing with substance abuse in Nunavik. In 1998, Isuarsivik agreed to open its residential program for all JBNQA beneficiaries struggling with substance abuse.

In the early 2000s, Isuarsivik faced several challenges with organizational and financial challenges. But in 2006, a new leadership reinvigorated Isuarsivik’s mandate.

The volunteer Board of Directors decided to invest in developing a distinct approach to substance abuse rehabilitation. They built on the experience of a group of dedicated professionals and community-based volunteers from Nunavik and together, designed a custom-made healing program based on Inuit values addressing Inuit-specific traumas and complemented by best practices in the field of addictions.

In 2016, Isuarsivik Treatment Centre became Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre and its Board of Directors adopted a Development Plan in response to the growing needs and priorities identified by the Inuit of Nunavik.

The plan called for the construction of a new building to increase its capacity to welcome guests and allow for the delivery of new in-house programs and services, especially for families and pregnant women. In parallel, the continued care services were developed to provide community-based support for people across the region.

In 2019, Isuarsivik celebrated its 24^th anniversary with several milestones:

• the groundbreaking of the new facility and access road construction,
• the construction of a first fourplex for staff, and
• the revamping of its branding to beautify and modernize the original art.

In 2020, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 harmed Isuarsivik’s services and construction project timeline and funding.

Once again, the Isuarsivik family showed resiliency and flexibility to adapt and secure additional funding to kick off the construction of the new facility in 2021.

In early 2022, Isuarsivik launched one of the largest recruitment campaigns in Nunavik, under the tagline ‘Ilaugitsi’.

This successful campaign gathered over 200 candidates and filled the 27 vacant positions that were necessary to offer the new services in the enlarged installation. In January 2023, Isuarsivik moved in its new building and got the keys of two additional fourplexes for staff.

In early 2023, Isuarsivik onboarded over 55 employees through an inclusive, complete, and exhaustive training approach.

On April 12, the Centre also welcomed its first guests in its new facility, including several youths, to attend the new 8-week Collective Healing Program. The new program and healing environment offer a unique recovery experience designed exclusively for Inuit of Nunavik to help them recover from past traumas and overcome substance abuse behaviours.