New Nunavik residence encourages students

Surrounded by students from Secondary 6, the Quebec equivalent of Grade 12, Minnie Nappaaluk, president of Kangiqsujuaq’s education committee, cuts a sealskin ribbon at the official opening of the new student residence in Kangiqsujuaq March 17. The $6 million residence is called Nasivvik, named by Kangiqsujuaq elder Maata Tuniq. It will house students from around Nunavik who are preparing for college. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

KANGIQSUJUAQ – Nunavik secondary students looking to further their education now have a home that lives up to their ambition.

Nasivvik, the bright and modern new student residence in Kangiqsujuaq, was inaugurated last week.

The $6-million facility houses Secondary 6 students from around the region who come to prepare for college and is considerably larger and more eye-catching than the former residence, which had become cramped and in frequent need of repair.

The appeal of the new residence could help attract more students to the program in future years, says the residence’s long-time supervisor Roland Beliveau.

“I think this will have a big impact on students’ decision to come here,” Beliveau said.

Despite overcrowding in many of the region’s homes, the new residence offers breathing room, he said.

Its nine double rooms and four singles can accommodate up to 24 students. Only 15 live there this year.

“We wanted a layout that didn’t feel like a hotel,” Beliveau said. “We really wanted the students to feel like they were at home.”

The residence’s occupants have not had problems making themselves at home, although the building’s slick and modern design hardly looks homey yet.

The bright and spacious living area is furnished in red leather couches, a giant flat screen TV, a sound system and a sewing station.

The dining area, which looks out through giant windows to the surrounding hills, is attached to the building’s state of the art kitchen.

Timothy Palliser has no complaints. The Inukjuak student, who uses a wheelchair, arrived at the cramped residence last September to a narrow makeshift ramp at the front door.

“It’s a lot longer here,” Palliser smiles, “and less noisy.”

Nasivvik also provides lots of space to navigate the centre’s rooms and hallways and a chance to enjoy some quiet time away from others, too.

“The students appreciate it, that’s for sure,” Beliveau said. “It’s easy for us to tell them to take care of the place because they have a new respect for where they live.”

The facility’s name, Nasivvik, means “to see far,” chosen by a local elder to signify students’ commitment to moving forward.

“Someone recently called the residence luxurious,” Beliveau said. “It’s not luxurious – it’s a big, comfortable house.”