126 homes marks busiest ‘major renovation’ season for Nunavik Housing Bureau
Workers on track to meet goal of completing this year’s work by Christmas, says director general
The Nunavik Housing Bureau is renovating 126 homes in seven communities this summer, including 19 in Aupuluk, seen here. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Summer is “major renovation” season for the Nunavik Housing Bureau and this year’s is the busiest yet, says director general Lupin Daignault.
Workers are on the ground in seven communities this summer fixing up 126 homes needing structural repairs such as siding, roofing, and replacement of aging components.
Lupin Daignault, director general of the Nunavik Housing Bureau, says this year’s renovation season is busier than usual. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
The communities seeing repairs are: Akulivik, 17 homes; Aupaluk, 19; Inukjuak, 19; Kangirsuk, 18; Kuujjuaq, 15; Puvirnituq, 18; and Salluit, 20.
“It’s more than we ever did,” Daignault said in an interview.
Planning for major renovations is a three-year process. The first year involves conducting building inspections and identifying houses needing work. The second year includes ordering materials for arrival on the sealift. The final year is devoted to getting the work done.
Within that process is the task of informing tenants they will have to temporarily relocate while their home is being renovated, with the assurance they’ll be able to move back in when the work is done.
“Working in a vacant unit, it’s easier than working in an occupied unit, so we have to give the tenant different options,” Daignault said, adding the housing bureau provides a sea can for residents to store their belongings during the relocation.
One option is to house tenants in vacant housing bureau units. However, some choose to stay with family or in their own cabins. One tenant is staying in a hotel while renovations are being done, Daignault said.
The housing bureau’s renovation work is obvious in Aupaluk, Nunavik’s smallest community, where many homes are stripped down and being tended to by construction workers.
Mayor Maggie Akpahatak is having her home renovated this year. In August, she was busy packing her belongings for a temporary move.
Akpahatak said she was given the heads-up that her house was on the renovation list, and has been set up with a vacant housing bureau unit she can call home for as long as the work takes.
“We got a good place to stay because they [prepared] people when they were going to have renovations,” she said.
“Everybody’s fine where they can stay … but we have to squeeze in the house.”
The bureau’s renovation budget for 2025, including smaller repairs such as replacing windows, totals $120 million, Daignault said. The plan is to have all of this year’s work completed by Christmas.
“It’s going pretty good actually,” he said.
“It’s going to be done.”
Preparations for next year’s work is underway as well. The bureau plans to renovate 84 homes in five communities — a “more normal” number compared to this year, Daignault said.
Yes, the Inuit living in Nunavik do need houses and apartments to live in. Its great that the MAKIVIK CONSTRUCTION are helping to build these houses and apartments for their people. Makivik Construction receives a nice budget to win the bid to complete these houses and or apartments. But they must know by now the many complaints of the floors are breaking, the air vents do not work, within weeks the paint on the walls and ceiling are peeling off, the extremely cold drafts that are coming in through the window frames and door frames. Makivik Corporation and Makivik Construction, it is time you all put love and consideration in the building of these new houses and apartments and stop trying to save your business or corporation a few dollars in the mean time the Inuit living in these newly constructed houses and apartments feel as though 3rd world countries are living better than us.
126 units, busy season!
The difference between the government of Nunavut and Nunavik, our government here in Nunavut is run by incompetent people not from Nunavut and it makes it so much more expensive with fewer homes being built.
Congratulations Nunavik on a busy summer of construction.
Colin you make it sound as though inuit of Nunavik feel oneness and ownership of Housing in Nunavik. I dont think thats so. Theres just as many people running things in Nunavik from the south as well. And im not sure if its all healthy relationships between housing builds and management and the tenant. Keep reading about the complaints, theres many.