Nunavik bumps cost-of-living subsidies for elders, parents, drivers

As part of upgrades to Nunavik’s cost-of-living program, gasoline distributers in each community will be added to the list of participating retailers for the sale of campaign fuel and snowmobile oil, making them eligible for subsidies. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Parents, drivers and elders in Nunavik will benefit from new retail and social assistance subsidies starting April 1.

Starting this month, the Kativik Regional Government and Makivik Corp. have increased subsidies within a handful of the region’s cost-of-living programs for 2016-17.

As part of the change, the subsidy paid to Northern Villages for country food purchases has been bumped from 40 per cent to 50 per cent. That program is designed to offset the cost of transportation for hunters as well as give Nunavik communities better access to healthy, local foods.

“Not only is the program improving access to country food for residents, but purchases are generating needed income for hunters in every community,” the KRG chairperson, Jennifer Munick, said in an April 1 release.

Under the Food and Other Essentials program, the subsidy applied to baby products in Nunavik’s stories will go up from 20 per cent to 30 per cent.

And gasoline distributors in each community will be added to the list of participating retailers for the sale of camping fuel and snowmobile oil.

Both items have already been subsidized at regular retail stores in the region since July 2015.

Finally, the annual assistance paid out to Nunavimmiut elders will go up $250, from $1,500 to $1,750.

“The financial situation faced by most elders and families is difficult,” said Makivik President Jobie Tukkiapik. “Lower prices for baby products will help young families.”

“And the increase in the assistance paid twice every years to elders can be used to reduce the cost of basic goods.”

Nunavik’s current cost-of-living agreement with Quebec has provided the region with $33 million between 2014 and 2017.

Under that same agreement, Quebec is helping to fund an in-depth study tracking the spend habits of Nunavimmiut, along with a comparative cost index.

The results, due out later this year, will be used to build a long-term cost-of-living subsidy program for Nunavik.

You can read more about Nunavik’s cost-of-living program here.