Kuujjuaq’s former elders’ home to undergo repairs before shelter opens

Kuujjuaq’s former Tusaajiapik elders’ home will undergo repairs so it can safely accommodate the community’s homeless population, but it still won’t meet the standards required for a long-term care home, Nunavik health officials say.

Before the building opens as a temporary shelter, valves in its heating system will be replaced, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services said in an email that communications co-ordinator Yentl Béliard-Joseph sent to Nunatsiaq News on Tuesday.

To do so, the heating system will need to be shut off for five days.

In April, the health board and Ungava Tulattavik Health Center cited problems with the building’s heating system and other “major technical components.” As a result, the organizations relocated residents to Montreal and closed the home.

On Friday, Deputy Mayor Claude Gadbois told Nunatsiaq News an agreement between the municipality, housing bureau, health board and health centre will allow the building to be used as a homeless shelter until October 2027.

He also said the building does not have a functioning sprinkler system.

Following a 2014 fire at a seniors’ home in L’Isle-Verte that killed 32 people, Quebec introduced requirements for automatic sprinkler systems in seniors’ residences housing 10 or more people. The deadline for facilities to comply was extended to December 2027.

Asked why the elders were relocated more than a year before that deadline, the health board’s email said there were “numerous issues” with the building that could not be resolved quickly. It did not specify if the sprinkler system is an issue.

Instead, it referred Nunatsiaq News to the health centre for further details.

The health centre did not respond to a request for comment.

Under an agreement currently being drafted, Nunavik Housing Bureau will remain responsible for maintenance and minor repairs while it owns the building. Ownership is expected to transfer to the health centre, which will then assume those responsibilities, the health board said.

The memorandum also specifies that the municipality will be solely responsible for operating the shelter from Nov. 5, 2026, to Oct. 21, 2027.

Kuujjuaq’s previous homeless shelter closed in September because of its poor condition, including a leaking roof, mould in some areas and recurring leaks caused by problems such as frozen pipes, Gadbois said.

People who used the shelter have been staying in tents set up behind the building.

The municipality is still seeking funding for a permanent, 25-bed shelter, potentially on or near the existing site once the old building is demolished.

About 15 to 25 people need shelter in Kuujjuaq on any given day, Gadbois has said, not including those staying with relatives or couch surfing.