Photo: Ottawa Inuit org gets grant to fight urban poverty

Tungasuvvingat Inuit is happy to help: the Ontario government is giving TI up to $281,000 over three years so the Ottawa-based Inuit service agency can develop and evaluate a “culturally-appropriate program” aimed at reducing poverty among Ontario’s urban Inuit population. With that money, TI will bring together existing service providers to help Inuit clients find stable employment through education, training, work experience and skills aquisition. Results will then be shared to help support poverty reduction programs for Inuit around the province. “The number of Inuit families in Ontario continues to grow,” says TI executive director Jason LeBlanc, in an Oct. 16 news release from Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi. “We look forward to sharing our findings not only for Inuit in Ontario but for all Ontarians facing poverty.” From left: TI’s Terry Ma, LeBlanc, Naqvi along with Mark Mongrain and Shirley Dagg, also of TI. (PHOTO COURTESY YASIR NAQVI)