Daniel Anowak is seen outside Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg this past February, while in recovery from a gunshot wound and the amputations of one hand and his toes due to frostbite. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Anowak)
Nunavik gunshot victim stuck in south for months amid COVID-19 restrictions
Daniel Anowak, now disabled, hopes to join family in Sanikiluaq
A Nunavik man has been waiting months to return home after he was seriously injured in an out-of-province incident.
But red tape and COVID-19-related restrictions have kept Daniel Anowak stuck in a Winnipeg hotel room for several weeks while he waits for permission to join his family.
Anowak, who is originally from Inukjuak but living in Montreal, travelled to Churchill, Manitoba, in late December 2019 to visit family and friends for an extended visit.
In early February, the 29-year-old decided to go trapping just outside Churchill on his own.
The trip would change his life; days into his journey, Anowak was shot in the shoulder by an unknown snowmobile driver, who he believes mistook him for an animal.
Anowak was on foot and estimates that he was about 10-15 kilometres outside the community at the time. With no way of calling for help, he walked back to Churchill in -30C temperatures, a trip he said took “a couple of days.”
Once he reached Churchill, Anowak was flown to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where he was treated for the gunshot wound. He also had his left hand and all his toes amputated due to severe frostbite.
“I’m accepting it,” Anowak said, describing his injuries from a Winnipeg hotel room on May 15. “But at the same time, it’s kinda hard. I’m using a wheelchair now.”
Adding to the difficulties, Anowak said he has been waiting for weeks for permission from the Government of Nunavut to fly to Sanikiluaq, to re-unite with family there who can care for him while he recovers.
Anowak has been staying in a Winnipeg hotel since March, his only company being a short visit from his sister, who came to be with him after his amputations.
Anowak’s girlfriend and his infant daughter (from a different relationship) both live in Sanikiluaq, as well as other relatives with whom Anowak could stay. Anowak said he would purchase his own plane ticket, and the Winnipeg hospital has provided him with a wheelchair he can use until he learns to walk again.
But Nunavut has been on lockdown since late March. Its travel restriction order prohibits non-residents from entering the territory, with limited exceptions.
Anowak said his request has sat with GN officials for weeks. The government would not comment on his specific case.
“All I asked was for approval to fly there, because my friend has already paid for the flight,” he said—this being a direct flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq.
During a May 21 news conference, the territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, said that the GN has made some exceptions to allow non-residents to come to the territory, largely for the purpose of reuniting families.
“It’s on a case by case basis,” Patterson said.
In the meantime, Makivik Corp. helped Anowak fly from Winnipeg to Montreal on May 20, where he is now staying in quarantine in a hotel room.
Anowak said he’s anxious to leave Montreal—he never wanted to return to the city, given the high number of COVID-19 cases and his own vulnerable health.
Makivik’s urban Inuit program has been paying for Anowak’s expenses: lodging in his Winnipeg and Montreal hotels and reimbursement for his daily meals.
Makivik said it’s unclear why the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services—which would normally oversee out-of-region health-care expenses for Nunavimmiut—has not been covering Anowak’s costs. The board didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Instead of him dealing with the stress, we took it on,” said Lisa Watt, who heads Makivik’s urban Inuit program, which supports Inuit living in Montreal.
Watt noted that Anowak is disabled and alone—and has been for a number of weeks.
“We thought he’d have better support and we’d have more ability to take care of him from here,” she said. “And a better chance of convincing Air Inuit [to fly him].”
From Montreal, Anowak’s only hope of connecting with family is on one of Air Inuit’s weekly cargo flights between Montreal and Sanikiluaq.
All other commercial flights that connect through Nunavik are on hold right now, apart from flights chartered to deliver essential services to communities.
At this point, Anowak said he’s willing to go to Sanikiluaq with or without the GN’s approval.
“I want to move to Sanikiluaq to stay there,” Anowak said.
To date, no one has been found responsible for shooting Anowak.
“At this time the investigation is still open and ongoing,” the Manitoba RCMP said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.
“There have not been any arrests and the RCMP encourages anyone with information to report it to Churchill RCMP.”
– with files from Meagan Deuling
Is there any updates to the investigation on who shot him? The story seems off, how did he get to that location for trapping and why would there not be anyone arrested.
Something is off here.
I have been chatting with my friend from Churchill and no it seems like there is no investigation going on for him. Like it
Never happen.
Correction:
He *claims* that he was shot in the shoulder by an unknown snowmobile driver, who he believes mistook him for an animal.
There’s no proof it ever happened.
More likely he was trying to scam a free trip home and he took it too far.
Cost him all his toes and hand, hope he makes a full recovery and be more careful next time.
What an asinine remark! How did it get past the moderator. So the guy shot himself in the shoulder and gave himself severe frostbite, leaving him disabled, to get a free trip home???? True, there might be more to his story, but you’re an idiot!
It’s like really who cares anyway. Not to say that in disregard, but he’s lucky he was away from inukjuaq for awhile. So funny how his home community so saturated with death and destruction and here he is shot, and alive to tell his truth or lies.
This is highly disturbing.. A hunter on a ski doo would check on what he or she was shooting at abviously that did not happeni hope they find the shooter at large that person is a danger to your hunters
Yes sir, something wrong with this picture. It’s might be the shooter coming forward in feeling the sins , as the shooter will appear soon, , but the shooter might be an interesting story I think.
It’s obvious there is proof, look at him, he’s disabled now! OMG how can you say “There’s no proof if it ever happened”; You Mark, mark yourself what you wrote.
He’ s very fortunate to be alive, PRAY for him.
So feeling sorry for him.??
I find prayer a complete waste of time, but do it if you wish, it doesn’t hurt anyone.
He is VERY luck to be alive.
However, this story is completely hinky and something is waaaayyy off. I hope that the police continue to investigate.
Prayer no good for many like yourself. God , if you believe the missionaries that’s your issue. Non believer here, non gullible too. If prayer and the almighty was any good, he would be with a good society, little children would not be abused, or he would ha e sent the idiots down to hell on a charter flight.
Churches have ruined religion. Why do people keep putting human attributes on a higher power? And expecting an intervention into problems created people and solvable by people.
Here’s one for you all. I dealt with many survivors of suicide attempts. Hey , we know not yet what happen in this case. But let me tell you many survivors have shoulder wounds from gun shot. Many have pinched skin shots. More serious have more vital areas injury, , but shoulder, is common, thhe attempt is seriously looking for help.
I no my friend when out wolf hunt west of churchill and set some traps but they were remove but a nothing trapper and put back by there tent that how bad trapper are over there so a trapper can till at 300yard what you are aming at and 2nd you don’t just shot and leave a animal so he plan this to happen after noing he is there to trap.
How did he end up in that area in the first place to put traps? I have a hard time understanding how someone would shoot him, anyone that is going to shoot looks at the animal very closely to put the shot in the right place, no one will just shoot at something without knowing what kind of animal it is and where to shoot it.
Doesn’t add up.
I’m glad to see him better, in this picture.
There will be negative bullies everywhere you go in life, so don’t take it to heart.
Glad to hear a family is taking him in and embracing him.
He is still a beneficiary of JBNQA so it’s good that Makivik is finally helping one of their own. Even though SQIA have to announce it to the world that they are helping; I guess it’s a family concern now.
The federal government says it s providing $129.9 million specifically for Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to not only help with the health and social services response to COVID-19 in the North, but to provide financial support for northern airlines and businesses.
This fellow is going to need medical resources/help. He is not a beneficiary of Nunavut– he is part of the JBNQA. As he is a beneficiary of that region, that’s where he should go– to Inukjuaq. Why should an already taxed health care system in a small community have to take on another individual who is not even a resident of the community or territory? And if this was a suicide attempt they individual needs mental health support: not much resources in Sanikiluaq.
Who knows what really happen , other than the victim. Or the shooter. Or the shooter and the victim are the same person, who knows? Who really knows how far out from the community he was. Again, either one or two persons know. But I know where I would throw my guess to, can you guess what my guess is ?
The question is: how did he survive the polar bear town? I mean Churchill is full of polar bears.
Is it just me that this whole thing is all a lie? Seriously! The authorities needs to look up his past or files of mental health records or something, there is no way a person would take off after shooting a person and get away with it.