Elder van project could hit the streets in 2027, premier says
GN to issue call for proposals with $1.25 million in approved operating funds
From left, then-MLA-candidates Gwen Healey Akearok and George Hickes, along with Arctic Training Ltd. president Paul Dainton, tour Iqaluit’s elder van in October 2025 ahead of a soft launch of the service. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
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.”
Now I would be happy to see funding for trained ambulance operators and ambulances in every community in Nunavut.
Provide emergency services 24/7/365.
Great idea Paul but Ambulance drivers are primary care paramedics and need 2+ intensive years of formal post-secondary education, which is not something that Nunavut-style training can replace. Should we change the legislation to allow any Joe Blow with a driver’s license to drive people in critical condition to the airport?
My understanding is that paramedics are not regulated in Nunavut, so theoretically anyone could be a paramedic if the GN contracted or employed them.
Cannot get insurance without a trained paramedic from my understanding.
My opinion is train them. Quit making excuses.
Health centres have contracted security . Add the duty of ambulance responses to the contract. Parkvthecvehiclecat thechealth center.
So the Elders Society has been running a bus service for Elders in Iqaluit for 15 years.
At some point the GN decides to give away free new elder buses and gives a brand new bus to an Iqaluit cab company. The cab company only runs that free bus for a few experimental weekends. But the cab operation manages to make this into “news” and gets into the media to gain credit for their short lived experimental service.
Meanwhile the Elders Society keeps running their bus service for Elders for another two years, and their old bus breaks down and the Society has to pay to get a new bus, and find funds to repair the old one and of course pay for gas and insurance and such.
Now we come to this announcement on operating funding:
“Policy is being developed behind the scenes and, once complete, the
government plans to issue a call for proposals before the end of 2026.
It remains to be decided whether that call will be public or “by invitation”.
If the Elders Society isn’t consulted on the policy and offered an invitation for the operations in Iqaluit I call foul and Auditor General. As a matter of fact this should already be in the AGs hands as it is.
What a mess. People who do nothing get free buses . The Society that serves elders gets a passing nod and a photo op.
More like in excess of 30 years the Elders Society has operated a bus service, not just for the patients living there, but for ALL Iqaluit Elders . Elders could arrange for pickup to go shopping, go to appointments or to go to church.
Anne Crawford can correct me if in my advanced age I am wrong, but I believe the bus at that time was funded by the Elks or the Legion. O & M was in the budget funded by the GNWT and followed up with the GN after 99
Under the expert guidance of the late Jim Taylor , the Society negotiated any additional funding required provided by the GN
While we’re on the topic of following up on things, whatever happened to the new indiginous-designed flight attendant uniforms Canadian North promised like 5 years ago?
Nunavut: where the photo-op is the product.
Four years of photographic chances that were nothing but eyesores! He certainly did himself a service by not competing again. He realized that marked the conclusion of his political career. It is to be hoped that all the previous MLAs realized the harsh reality in the end. Upcoming election, please!
Nice to see story photo’s of the people and not former Premier!
Remember those times are back. Any other Inuit who can take care of their elderly parents, will not be looking into this sort. Families Inuit societies today. Government involvement, not a fan.
my thoughts…
I think this project was initiated by, then premier; PJ, to act upon his constituents, to please the voters, that he is “helping” the community, but as it turns out, it because a “Nunavut” cause, then it screws up….Iqaluit already has bussing service for the elders, duh?