Nunavut coroner investigating Chesterfield Inlet group home deaths

Naja Isabelle Home services clients with specialized medical needs

Care at the Naja Isabelle group home in Chesterfield Inlet is under investigation following the deaths of two clients, the Government of Nunavut announced Friday. (File photo)

By Madalyn Howitt

Updated Friday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m.

The deaths of two teenage clients at a care home in Chesterfield Inlet have prompted police and third-party investigations.

“Critical incidents” at the Naja Isabelle Home resulted in the hospitalization of three clients, announced Family Services Minister Margaret Nakashuk Friday in a news release.

Two of those clients died in hospital.

One was a 12-year-old who died Jan. 6 and the other was 19 years old and died outside of the territory on Oct. 17, said Khen Sagadraca, Nunavut’s chief coroner. He couldn’t confirm their genders.

Sagadraca said the coroner’s office is investigating the deaths but could not yet share details about the causes of death.

There is no information in the release about the nature of the incidents that led to the hospitalizations.

Nunatsiaq News asked Government of Nunavut spokesperson Casey Lessard for the details but was told the GN won’t comment further “as this is an active investigation.”

Nakashuk also declined further comment.

Nunavut RCMP confirmed that at the request of the GN it is “assisting with an open investigation” into the incidents, but offered no further details in a news release Friday afternoon.

Naja Isabelle Home, which opened in 2004, is operated by Pimakslirvik Corp. According to its website, the group home is for people under the age of 40 with specialized medical needs. Residents in the home come from all over Nunavut.

Pimakslirvik indicates on its website that it also operates a second care home in Chesterfield Inlet as well as a home in Rankin Inlet.

No one from Pimakslirvik responded to a request for comment from Nunatsiaq News.

Nakashuk said the Department of Family Services has retained a third-party firm to investigate the quality of care at the Chesterfield Inlet facility and is “actively exploring” alternative placements for clients still there.

“The families have been informed of the incidents, and they are receiving support from the Department of Family Services,” Nakashuk said in the release.

“While these clients remain in Chesterfield Inlet, they are safe and receiving enhanced support from the Government of Nunavut.”

She said she was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of the clients.

Note: This story was updated to include comment from the RCMP and the Nunavut coroner

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(22) Comments:

  1. Posted by Name Withheld on

    It is questionable indeed when you have two clients die within die/weeks of each other, especially in a small Hamlet such as Chesterfield Inlet.

    Hamlet has gone through so much in the past that one mental health nurse is not enough to serve the community members.

    My thoughts are with the family affected by the loss of their loved ones.

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    • Posted by Inuk on

      They are trying to hide something about them and they say they are require to that job. Don’t you guys see what the health government and social workers are doing to inuit. Speak up inuit or for what are you doing complaint for if you guys don’t speak. Just start say what blm so only black people and people can’t say n word what about letter e word and ther is eskimo tent can see it in cbc when they show encampment. What about inuit lives. Look at trump fruad case canadian government might be doing same thing to inuit. Social worker in arviat was suppost to do his work about the paper works. And that said that in 72 hours to send those paper work and i was waiting 3 months to see him and start making excuses and charging the employers to different department to hide for what he was doing.

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      • Posted by Pedro on

        Que pasa?
        Habla Anglais?

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        • Posted by maybe on

          Poquito mas.

          (bigly)

  2. Posted by Inquisitive on

    Wow. Wasn’t it only a few months ago their Deputy Minister and Minister were making public and televised apologies from the legislature that they would do better and ensure no children were further placed in jeopardy in response to the Auditor General report? Is this just the tip of the iceberg still? Time for their Minister to stand up, apologize again, and resign this portfolio. Someone has to take responsibility and ownership for this devastating situation. And I hope this results in a public inquiry and an investigation into Pimakslirvik and how/if the department of family services regularly monitored this contract for compliance and checked on those children regularly.

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    • Posted by art thompson on

      I agree. How many times does family services have to be cleaned out due to incompetence? They had the last DM and ADM loose track of Inuit children in the south. Along with a blistering OAG report. Anyone ever remember being truly held accountable. Now new DM and more of the same.

      • Posted by Inuk on

        Don’t worry people the government and social worker will get what they deserve and they say they are certified for that job position. But there will karma for their laziness and bossy around toward Inuit workers. And UN says Quebec is being investigate for the pension plan might be to the workers in the mine. I hope alfred get what he deserve. The most even embarrassment will come to nunavut government.

  3. Posted by Andre Tautu on

    I am an elder and I observes, what surrounds me, as far as I’m concern, Naja Care Center employees are doing their very best looking after their clients at the center, local/regional and Nunavut caretakers, may be over reacting or accusing caretakers for looking after improperly, not so the clients are in very sensitive lives in care center (Naja) they are cared for 24 hours a day. Mind you, these people working at Naja Care Center are professionals and they love their clients.

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    • Posted by Question on

      Andre, Are you related to any staff member who works at this facility? Or are you a board member of the company with the contract to provide service to these individuals being cared for?

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      • Posted by Chesterfield England on

        Andre stated he is an elder of the community and I know he would not keep quiet if he heard anything bad happening , especially to the vulnerable. For many years Chesterfield took very good care of the disabled children, some adults. I know for a fact as may late aunt was once a client until she had to be relocated to another facility for adults. The staff care deeply for their clients as they become like their own family. They are good there and hope they never ever be sent down south where it would not be the same!

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        • Posted by Respond to CE on

          Please give me 5 elder names within Nunavut who will stay quiet when it comes to protecting their relatives.

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          • Posted by Elder P on

            Did you know that Elders can be related to 85% of the community?

  4. Posted by Delbert on

    What a sad day for the families of these children. There can be no hiding the circumstances of how. These young people died. The reasons and how they died. No matter how difficult. A full and honest investigation is required. And those who provide the care to them. Be at facility or outside administrators. Must be held accountable. Also the out come of the investigation. Must be made public. This is far to serious of matter. To try and hide.

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  5. Posted by Northerner on

    Nunatsiaq along with government officials should inform the people that autopsies will be done to everybody even if the cause is known. Mandatory. One of those just in case.

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  6. Posted by Iqalummiut on

    This is what happens when Healthcare isn’t provided in our chosen language.

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    • Posted by Je suis d’accord on

      Je sais. J’ai tenté de trouver des soins en français au Nunavut, et c’était quasi impossible.

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    • Posted by Huh? on

      The majority of staff at the facility are chesterfield inlet residents and Inuktitut speaking. Not quite sure your comment makes sense?

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  7. Posted by Mass Formation on

    The tight lip government. Wonder if it has anything to do with struggling, keeping the elephant in the room invisible so sudden stays hushed?

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  8. Posted by Lucretius on

    The Government of Nunavut has a definite strategy in the health and family services field of contracting out care to third parties.

    I think the reasoning goes is that they struggle enough to hire and retain their own GN direct employees, and they do not have the capital to spend on group homes and other such facilities in the communities, when they can contribute financially instead.

    And, there is also probably other financial considerations – a private company seeming to do the same thing as government for less. But it never works out that way. The company always has to cut some corners to make it worth their while to do the same thing as the GN.

    So here we are, stuck with a system of mainly farmed out care in Nunavut. The problem with this is that as soon as they hand off these services to another company, they treat it like a problem solved. It becomes something that they feel they do not worry about.

    And in a sense they are right. These third party providers insulate the GN against ultimate responsibility and accountability for the lives of people in care. Just like the churches insulated the government from the same thing running residential schools on behalf of Education officials.

    I do not think this is such a sound strategy. The results of approaching care this way is abundantly outlined in the Auditor General’s report, and may have been a factor here in this fresh tragedy.

    GN, do this work yourself. If your Minister is on the hook for what happens to people in care, then there is actual public accountability. Then there will be top down effort to make sure things are done right. When has a GN Minister ever resigned due to improper work done by their Department?

    • Posted by Backwards on

      Is your opinion based on gut feeling, or fact? Do you know how other provinces and territories function? The less the government runs, the better. Governments should be governing, auditing, licensing, regulating. Not operating. .

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  9. Posted by huvaguuq on

    It is time for the Minister to do the honorable and resign. The last major incident she was allowed to apologize and have the Premier transfer the DM. Can no longer trust her or the Premier.

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