Nunavik faces big backlog for infrastructure repairs

KUUJJUAQ—Jeannie Nungak, Nunavik’s regional councillor for Kangirsuk, received some good news last week when she heard that funding had been secured to knock down the community’s arena, which has been an eyesore since it was badly damaged by fire in April.

She also received some bad news: funding for a new arena probably won’t be flowing any time soon.

Paul Parsons, the Kativik Regional Government’s director of public works, told regional councillors on Sept. 11 that a plan to build a new arena for the community was deemed “eventual.”

“For a new arena, that’s still going to be something we’ll work with the Northern Village on,” Parsons said. “That’ll be quite expensive to replace this.”

The list of infrastructure needs for the 14 Nunavik communities is long.

Road repairs and gravel are required almost across the board, utility vehicles as well—though a number are en route via sealift, including a water truck for Akulivik and sewage trucks for Aupaluk, Akulivik and Umiujaq.

And service on existing municipal vehicles is limited by a lack of mechanics that come from the south at a high cost of $17,000 for one month, said councillor David Annanack from Kangiqsualujjuaq. According to the report, three mechanics rotate through Nunavik communities.

Just a few of the issues brought up at the meeting are the following: Akulivik’s recreation centre was damaged by water and a fuel leak and the community has long asked for a pool; Aupaluk’s dump needs to be relocated farther from the community; Inukjuak’s arena was closed due to mould; and Umiujaq’s recreation centre has neither running water nor a toilet.

“We always receive very good service from the Ministry of Public Works,” Umiujaq councillor Lucy Kumarluk said at the meetings. “But there is insufficient funding.”

Experts were in Tasiujaq this summer to write up a report on the work required on its community arena and also visited Quaqtaq to assess the arena and swimming pool—both of which have been described by members of the community as important spaces for youth, and currently unusable.

So far, only the report on the pool has been received by the department, Parsons said, adding that, while a frustration for the community and department alike, it needs more evaluation.

And all reports and recommendations need to be measured against a strict budget.

“We may want to prioritize things for renovation projects. Sometimes when we receive back proposals or recommendations, we receive recommendations going for the Cadillac, let’s say, when we can only go for the Toyota,” said Parsons. “We have budgets to respect, we do have limitations.”

A community and cultural centre in Puvirnituq, for example, Parsons said is up against that challenge of meeting what is fiscally feasible.

“We really do run into the scope of work issues. If we get our ideas onto a table and ask professionals to come back with what should be the project … we end up looking at something that’s costing way too much and nobody has the funding for,” said Parsons.

For Akulivik, Parsons agreed with councillor Joanasie Aliqu that major renovations are needed on the recreation centre. For the pool, he said, the $2.5 million or so needed just isn’t available at the moment.

“I’ll be very happy the day we can secure that funding as well,” Parsons said. “But the fact is, right now we don’t have enough funding to proceed with that.”

A tour of all communities to inspect arenas, community centres and pools was delayed this summer but is now in progress, and reports from that will be provided to the Northern Villages.

KRG Chairperson Jennifer Munick also told council that an agreement on road paving with Quebec’s Ministry of Transportation is in the works and urged patience.

“We want to achieve what you want to achieve,” Parsons told the councillors.

See the municipal public works department’s full activity report below, including drinking and waste-water systems: