Nunavik’s 2023: A little magic, some health news, and smoke on the horizon

With an important grand opening, an appearance on Canada’s Got Talent and a fibre-optic expansion, numerous positive stories made an impact on Nunavik in 2023.

The region also faced challenges it had never seen before.

There was no shortage of events to consider in selecting the top five news stories from Nunavik in 2023.

A new recovery centre

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

The year saw the completion of the new Isuarsivik Recovery Centre, a project Nunavimmiut have been anticipating since 2016. After seeing the building atop one of the hills in Kuujjuaq slowly rise over the years as construction continued, summer 2023 was its official grand opening.

The first opening ceremony was held in June for locals, and Isuarsivik invited people from across the region to attend. At Kuujjuaq’s forum, a country food feast was held followed by a performance from well-known singer Beatrice Deer, who wrote a song specifically for Isuarsivik.

In September, the centre held its national opening where elected representatives from all government levels visited the newly built facility.

On that day, the Government of Quebec announced $350,000 in funding, with an additional commitment of $3 million per year over three years, for Isuarsivik’s operation.

Better internet for Nunavik

In July, Kativik Regional Government gave an update on the rollout of fibre optic internet service for all Nunavik communities.

It announced the entire region should be connected by 2025.

Smoke from a forest fire is seen across the Koksoak River in Kuujjuaq, as people swam at the beach during a hot summer afternoon in July. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)

KRG said communities on the Hudson Coast would have full fibre optic services by the end of this year, and the rest would follow starting in summer 2025.

All that was positive news, however, a cloud was looming over some communities. A big, dark cloud.

Where there’s smoke…

The effects of forest fires that ravaged the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee were felt in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Kuujjuaq and Kuujjuaraapik especially from late June through mid-July.

In July, KRG’s civil security director Craig Lingard said that “every year, forest fires continue to exponentially increase risk.”

He noted the extreme heatwave that affected most of Nunavik, where at one point Kuujjuaq was recorded as the warmest place in Canada.

Wheelchairs for Ullivik

In March, a news story and photo in Nunatsiaq News showed Kangiqsualujjuaq’s Jean Guy St-Aubin being taken in a luggage cart to his Ullivik room instead of in a wheelchair after a chemotherapy appointment.

St-Aubin’s granddaughters responded by launching a fundraiser to buy a wheelchair for the Montreal-based facility. When nearly $8,000 was raised, they were able to purchase nine wheelchairs, with 10 others donated by Montreal-based manufacturer Motion Composites.

“It has been very incredible to be a witness to this event,” said granddaughter Julia St-Aubin.

She added it was “very fun to see having enough wheelchairs at this building for the employees, for the patients, for the escorts.”

Nunavik on the national stage

In May, Kangiqsujuaq’s Benjamin Déziel, also known as the magician Magic Ben, competed at the semifinals of Canada’s Got Talent.

From his humble beginnings in Nunavik and practising in front of his mirror, to appearing on CTV’s nationally televised program was a dream come true for him.

“I am trying to find the right words to describe this,” he said in an interview, “it was magical.”

Magic Ben did not advance past the semifinals, but since then he has gone to appear on France’s Got Talent in Paris, where he reached the quarter-finals.