Elder van project could hit the streets in 2027, premier says

Five accessible elders vans that were purchased with $1 million in public money remain off the roads one year after a pilot project affirmed the need for such a service.

While he wouldn’t provide a specific timeline for the vans’ rollout, Premier John Main said it’s his “desire” to see the vans back in operation in 2027 — three years after they were purchased.

“The update is, as of right now, they’re still not operating,” he said in a phone interview Friday. “But, our government does want to follow through on this.”

The project stalled in 2025, at the end of the previous government’s term, due to a lack of an operating budget.

That changed in spring 2026 when MLAs in the current legislative assembly approved $1.25 million in additional funding, Main said.

When the bus service was first announced, it was a partnership among Northern Future Skills Development, Arctic Training Ltd., and Caribou Cabs.

There is one van in each of five communities: Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, Coral Harbour and Pangnirtung. Northern Future Skills Development, a private company, bought them with funding it got from the GN.

Representatives of Arctic Training Ltd. and Caribou Cabs were not available to comment on this story.

Kopa Mike stands next to the elders bus operated by the Pairiniit Society at Iqaluit’s Elders’ Qammaq on Friday. (Photo by Daron Letts)

Policy is being developed behind the scenes and, once complete, the government plans to issue a call for proposals before the end of 2026, Main said.

It remains to be decided whether that call will be public or “by invitation,” he added.

Arctic Training Ltd. ran a self-funded, month-long short-term soft launch of the service in Iqaluit a year ago, in October 2025. The company responded to approximately 200 service calls each weekend.

Kopa Mike, a board member with the Pairijiit Tigummiaqtikkut Iqaluit Elders Society, used the new van three times that month to travel between the Elders Qammaq, food bank, and grocery store, she said.

The new van’s ramp was a bit challenging with her bad leg, she said, but an assistant on the bus made it easy to climb until she could reach the handrails inside the bus while she boarded, she said.

“It was great having help,” she said.

The elders society itself runs three vehicles, including an elder bus. But that bus’ accessibility ramp has been broken for a long time, said fellow board member Ainiak Korgak.

”We got tired of waiting for the new bus so we forgot about it,” Mike added.

“I realize it’s been some time since these vans were originally purchased, and there is some anticipation and frustration around the fact that they’re still not operating,” Main said. “The next step is to see a policy established, which would govern that funding and see it flow across Nunavut to folks who will be running this type of service.”