New will-guide to hit Nunavut soon

Too many Nunavummiut die without leaving behind a legal will, according to the Government of Nunavut.

That’s why Nunavut’s justice minister Daniel Shewchuk supported the publication of a new Nunavut Will Guide to “make it easier for Nunavummiut to understand and prepare a will.”

“The rate of individuals passing away without a will is higher in Nunavut than [in] southern Canada,” Shewchuk said Nov. 2 in a minister’s statement at the Legislative Assembly.

One of the reasons why Nunavummiut don’t prepare a will: there haven’t been “tools” available in Inuktitut about writing a will.

And many don’t realize that they can write a will, Shewchuk said.

The new guide provides that new tool they can use — and it will be the first guide to contain information about wills in English and Inuktitut. These versions are going to be distributed “as they are complete,” with French and Inuinnaqtun versions are to follow.

The guide will explain how to write a simple, legally binding will by yourself.

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” states the guide on its front cover.

The new guide walks you through how to give, transfer, and give money and property to those who survive you by the letter of the law.

And it will also help you outline how you wish to be buried.

There are also simple definitions of legal jargon.

The Department of Justice said it’s working on a distribution plan for the guide across Nunavut. However, no date has been set for distribution of the guide.