Isuarsivik’s second grand opening showcases provincial, federal support: executive director

Proceeds from specially written Beatrice Deer song will benefit recovery centre

Media, politicians, local leaders and Isuarsivik staff all united in front of the Isuarsivik Recovery Center during its national grand opening. (Photo credit of Samuel Lagacé)

By Cedric Gallant
Special to Nunatsiaq News

Federal and provincial leaders were on hand in Kuujjuaq on Sept. 20 to celebrate the national grand opening of the community’s Isuarsivik Recovery Centre.

This is the second opening for Isuarsivik: The first one, in June, aimed to introduce the new facility and programming to Kuujjuaq residents, ensuring they are familiar with what is being offered, said executive director Etua Snowball.

The national opening, meanwhile, was tailored for media and politicians, including federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu and Quebec’s Indigenous Relations Minister Ian Lafrenière.

“Hosting both minister Hajdu and Lafrenière simultaneously was profoundly significant to us,” Snowball said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

“Our aspiration is to convey to politicians that by joining forces with both the federal and provincial levels we can collectively work towards the betterment and advancement of Nunavik and its residents.”

From left, Quebec Indigenous Relations Minister Ian Lafrenière, federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu and Isuarsivik director Etua Snowball pose in front of the Koksoak River in Kuujjuaq, near the Isuarsivik Recovery Centre. (Photo courtesy of Samuel Lagacé)

The national opening proved to be a big day for Isuarsivik for another reason: That’s when the Ministry of Health and Social Services and Government of Quebec announced $350,000 in funding for its first year of operation.

After that, $3 million per year will follow for the next three years.

“This positive development certainly set a favourable tone for the opening ceremony and highlights the increasing political support for our cause,” Snowball said.

Performer Beatrice Deer released a song for the grand opening as well, in collaboration with Isuarsivik. The song is titled Tasiulaurluk, which translates to “take my hand” and acts as an anthem to the recovery centre.

Three other Inuit artists were involved in the making of the song: singer-songwriter Joey Partridge, also known as Juurini, Kathy Snowball and Sylvia Cloutier.

Tasiulaurluk was first performed during the initial opening in June and was released on all music platforms for the national opening.

All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Isuarsivik foundation.

 

 

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(10) Comments:

  1. Posted by Congratulations on

    Awesome initiative! Great to see the support! I’ve noticed a lot more federal funding for the North across the board, I am not a big fan of Trudeau or the Liberals but I have to give them credit for more support than the previous government that made so many budget cuts that did nothing for the north.

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    • Posted by Northerner on

      Can t wait for my fellow inuks to be healed and learn to work for a living.

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  2. Posted by on looker on

    I hope majority of Kuujjuamiut go thru the treatment as the treatment centre is open officially just for Kuujjuamiut.

  3. Posted by inuk from kuujjuaq on

    I really I hope that the youth and adults attend the new Isuarsivik to get healed.
    It is so annoying youth just walking around the streets during the day intoxicated instead of looking for a job. Lots of accidents happening here and there. Especially people who take hard drugs is so disappointing and when people get addicted to it they are scary. Go to the beautiful Isuarsivik get help no one is going to bite you.

    • Posted by Stephen Grasser on

      We have a saying that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, meaning that if the parents have substance abuse problems during their children’s formative years their children are likely to have the same problems.

      I wonder if Isuarsivik would consider family counselling as well?

      I also want to thank the management team for seeing this important project through – I know it wasn’t easy, but they refused to take no for an answer in their funding requests and succeeded in the end.

      • Posted by Family on

        They do family counselling now. Families are welcome there now and I believe a few families were there for the first cycle at the new centre.

        • Posted by How did that work out by results now ? on

          I like to see the results of that family session in real time. Was it a holiday from misery ? Or was it worth it’s weight in the millions spent on that Center. Or will,it prove to be worth it over time. You know a family holiday can be less expensive, if that’s all what’s to be accomplished at isuarsivik. History repeats itself : even in new improvements of a building. A house is a house, a building is a building, but you can have a home even in An old hut in the woods. Excitement might be in the building, not what’s inside unfortunately.

  4. Posted by peter on

    Watching a loved one suffer from alcohol addiction is difficult, those family members, friends of the addict also suffer as take away the alcohol, the individual can work, parent, ect. Congrats, this facility was and will continue to be needed.

  5. Posted by Is there light at the end of the tunnel? on

    The only thing left in Nunavik’s battle against alcohol and drugs is hope. The community has gone down the drain, deteriorating so quickly. The future is bleak. There’s a new student residence going up beside the notorious coop store in kuujjuaq, beer next door benefit. Like isuarsivik, it’s another facility that will have only hope on its side. Hope is all there is. The educational future doesn’t look that good, considering the history and statistics of drop outs , and teachers and other jobs among the population without proper qualifications and training. There may be a good intention among such faculties,,but I’m concerned that it’s only an excitement with the structures, not the purpose of the reasons behind having it.

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  6. Posted by Say no to public drunkenness on

    Saying no to public drunkenness is overdue by years, no matter where you go, whether it be driving or shopping or airport, even church sometimes, there’s the smiling drunk, waiting for the opportunity to violate someone in someway. The smile tends to turn into a sad , mad angry drunken lunatic. I think the worse is they’re on our roads( kuujjuaq) big time, worse again , not a police car can be seen, but everyone else tends to see it. And I don’t know how many times, people call the police about drunks , as by story after story to no avail. Calling and having the police respond needs addressing as well. Wouldn’t we live to be able to say, educate them drunken driving idiots, but that’s been tried over and over, therefore arresting them seems to be new and improved. Road blocks in a small community is not rocket science.

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