Daniel Anowak, 29, spent two months in a Winnipeg hospital until Makivik Corp. flew him back to Montreal, and then north to Umiujaq, where he is staying with family. (Photo courtesy of D. Anowak)
Gunshot victim now home in Nunavik
Daniel Anowak still hopes to join family in Sanikiluaq
A Nunavik man who spent months in a Winnipeg hospital and a hotel has finally returned to his home region.
Daniel Anowak flew north on a chartered flight on May 30 to Umiujaq, where he is staying with relatives. Makivik Corp. arranged his travel and an escort to accompany him, the organization confirmed this week.
The 29-year-old Nunavik man made headlines earlier this year when he was admitted to hospital in Winnipeg for a gunshot wound and severe frostbite.
Anowak is originally from Inukjuak, but he had been living in Montreal when he travelled to Churchill, Manitoba, in late December 2019 for an extended visit.
Anowak ventured out on his own in late January to go trapping outside the community. During that trip, Anowak said he was shot in the shoulder by a passing snowmobile driver, who may have mistaken him for an animal. No one was ever arrested in connection with the shooting, and the Manitoba RCMP said the investigation remains open.
At that point, Anowak was somewhere around Button Bay, about eight kilometres west of Churchill. It took him a couple of days to walk to the community in temperatures below -30 C.
Once Anowak was transferred to a Winnipeg hospital, doctors had to amputate his left hand and all his toes due to severe frostbite.
By the time Anowak was released from hospital, COVID-19 restrictions were in place across the country. He made a request to the Government of Nunavut to fly to Sanikiluaq, where he hoped to join his partner and young daughter.
Anowak now requires a wheelchair to get around and wants to be with family to support him in his recovery.
But he said the GN never responded to his request to go to Sanikiluaq; the territory has a travel ban in place and would have had to make an exception to allow him in.
Makivik Corp.’s urban Inuit program covered Anowak’s daily expenses in Winnipeg and flew him back to Montreal on May 20. The organization then arranged his flight to Umiujaq on May 30.
For its part, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services said it never received any request for help from Anowak or his family members.
Nunavimmiut who require health services when they are out of the province are required to contact their regional health centre, either Tulattavik or Inuulitsivik, the board said in a June 3 email to Nunatsiaq News.
Intercommunity air travel is set to resume across Nunavik on June 8. Normally, Air Inuit flies between Umiujaq and Sanikiluaq, but won’t for now while Nunavut remains closed to out-of-territory travel.
It’s better off for him to spend time with his family in northern Quebec. More family he has, a lot more help he will get. Just a girlfriend and a small child, it will be tough.
Makivik should still pay for his boarding because he’s not able to work; or even if he is, nobody is being hired. He still needs to eat.
And he is staying with overcrowded family of 10 people in a four-bedroom.
That’s what welfare is for, he can apply for benefits,
$600 a month? That’s $20 a day. Who can live on that?
Welfare offices are closed, remember
When my son was hospitalized in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I had to fill out a form that is called: “Power of Attorney” in order to renew my son’s Quebec Health Care from RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance Maladie Québec) since he was out of the Province and I had to mail when it finally arrived to my place after about 3 weeks later, because Covid-19 Pandemic was just starting to shut down everything, everywhere and the Government offices just started to be closed.
I had to take public transportations back and forth for 2 weeks because I had just taken my vehicle to a garage just before all non-essential businesses were shut down in Montreal and I did not get my car for 2 months because Covid-19 Pandemic.
I was also in constant contract with Daniellee’s Social Worker at the hospital where he was staying.
Thanks to my great effort to get his Quebec Health Card renewed, he was not going to be charged for his hospital stay and health care services because he did not have Manitoba health card since he is from Quebec. He was able to travel back to Quebec since he then photo ID Quebec Medical Health Card with photograph!
When he finally arrived to Montreal on Saturday (May 20th) he waited for over an hour at the airport without an escort with limited physical movability in wheelchair after Lisa Watt, Makivik employee although, had informed Ullivik Administration workers with all information ahead of time for him to pick-up at the airport and Lisa and I kept each other informed every steps that we were trying to get in touch with Ullivik and we kept communicating with each other about what was happening when he was waiting to be pick up at the airport by Ullivik Transport Services.
I called Ullivik about 10 times and only to be transferred to voice mail extension numbers for Transport Dept. of Ullivik and I even called directly to Ullivik Transport driver that was on duty that day and all I was told was, I cannot pick up anybody without authorization from my boss, who I call many more times without success and I only had a phone call back the next day.
Fortunately, Lisa Watt had made plan B, if in case he was not able to go to Ullivik, Danielle took a taxi that was paid my Makivik to Quality Hotel, where patience from Nunavik stay.
As soon as Daniellee checked in I ask the receptionist operator if I could go visit him (social distancing) and I was told that he will have to stay for another extra 14 days, if he had any contact from anybody from outside because of Quarantine rules and Daniellee’s room had no window, for me to go window visit and I did not want to jeopardize his stay there.
I had cried gallons of tears since he got his left hand and toes amputated! I actually lost about 10 to 15 pounds after his operation, I did not eat for about a week, just lying down on my couch for about a week from deep depression.
While he was in Quarantine at the hotel in Winnipeg after he was discharged from the hospital in Winnipeg, we (family and friends) had to send him money for meals because he had lost all his bank card and everything.