Fire destroys Naulait Men’s Association building in Umiujaq

The Naulait Men’s Association building in Umiujaq was destroyed by a fire last week, leaving the organization without a home base for its programming.

Manager Qalingu Napartuk said he was asleep when the fire broke out on Sept. 2. He received two missed calls at around 5:30 a.m. and learned what had happened when he woke up at approximately 6 a.m.

“I rushed right away, as soon as I got up,” Napartuk said.

By the time he arrived, firefighters and community members were already at the scene, and much of the building was engulfed in flames, he said.

The Naulait Men’s Association organizes activities intended to connect community members with traditional practices and life on the land, such as caribou hunting, fishing, wood cutting and camping.

The association also provides employment opportunities. It has three employees, and local residents are hired for outings when equipment, such as canoes or snowmobiles, is needed. Napartuk said he tries to hire people who are unemployed so they can earn an income.

Nunatsiaq News has reached out to the Kativik Regional Government about the cause of the fire and whether it’s considered to be suspicious but hasn’t received a response.

Napartuk said he also hadn’t received any information from authorities, although he suspects an electrical problem caused the fire.

The building had previously experienced problems with electrical outlets, including one that had blackened, he said.

The association’s employees routinely closed the building after its Monday-to-Friday, 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. operations, said Napartuk. Three employees had keys to the building.

No one was inside when the fire occurred.

The blaze destroyed all of the equipment and supplies inside the building, including newly purchased items that had arrived by sealift this summer, Napartuk said. Fortunately, snowmobiles were outside the building.

This destruction is a loss for the whole community, Napartuk said. Although the association was originally intended to focus on men and teenage boys, it became more inclusive.

“We’re in a small community, so we decided to include everybody,” he said.

The building also served other purposes.

A visiting probation officer regularly met with offenders in an office in the building. Napartuk said some people were more comfortable meeting there rather than at a police station or social services office.

Napartuk rebuilt the organization in December 2022, after its activities had largely stalled following the departure of the previous manager.

“I started from the scratch, literally, when it was nothing,” he said. “It almost became my little baby. Like, I’m growing this thing here.”

A major cleanup is now underway on the site, and the association is planning to demolish what remains.

Even without a permanent facility, Napartuk said outdoor activities will continue when funding and logistics allow.

Despite the setback, Napartuk remains determined.

“We’re pushing for a building again,” he said. “I don’t give up easily.”

The association receives financial support from the municipality, local organizations and businesses. It is open to donations and financial assistance, Napartuk said.