Nunavut plans to build four new shelters for women fleeing violence

Nunavut plans to increase its spending on family violence services and emergency support for 2020-21, in a move widely praised by regular MLAs.

“I appreciate the efforts made to restructure and strengthen service delivery to increase focus on Nunavut’s most vulnerable,” Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Lightstone said on March 5 in his member’s statement to the territorial legislature.

Two years ago Lightstone tabled a report in the legislature from the Nunavut Coroner’s Office and the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, with recommendations aimed to prevent domestic violence.

“On numerous occasions, members have called on our government to increase support to address domestic and family violence, to do more for women fleeing from violence, and children that have been subjected to abuse. I cannot express how encouraging it is to see substantial progress,” Lightstone said.

“I would like to thank this government on behalf of all of the most vulnerable Nunavummiut for taking such a significant step to ensuring their well-being; namely, the homeless, the victims of domestic violence, and the children who need a safe space.”

The GN plans to spend more than $2 million on new and existing homeless shelters and will promote the establishment of more safe houses and shelter services across Nunavut, according to discussions on March 4 during the committee of the whole’s look at the budget for the Department of Family Services.

Family Services Minister Elisapee Sheutiapik (centre) sits before the Nunavut legislature’s committee of the whole on March 4 where she discussed her department’s plans for 2020-21. (Photo by Emma Tranter)

The new money includes:

• $1,040,000 to plan for and build four new shelters for women in Gjoa Haven, Pond Inlet, Baker Lake and Pangnirtung. These should be built during 2022-23.
• $645,000 for five new positions to implement the Community Coordination for Women’s Safety Initiative, a program that assists communities in improving their response to violence against women, or developing new ways of responding.
• $300,000 to implement a program for temporary overnight safe spaces for youth who find themselves in crisis.

An additional $50,000 is earmarked for relocation, said Family Services Minister Elisapee Sheutiapik in the committee meeting.

“If a family or a woman needs to leave one community to another, we’ve actually put in travel dollars for that,” Sheutiapik said.

The department also wants to build a network of safe homes in communities, where someone fleeing violence can stay and be protected.

Social services offices plan to host town hall meetings for discussions about safe homes as part of the department’s safe house recruitment campaign, Sheutiapik said.

Pangnirtung MLA Margaret Nakasuk said in the committee meeting how the “issue of family violence continues to be a major concern across the territory. ”

“In the past, members urged the minister of family services to work with her staff to explore options to increase the number of safe houses and shelters in our communities,” Nakasuk said.

David Qamaniq, MLA for Tununiq, noted how the Mary River iron mine near Pond Inlet has brought an increase in employment “and there are problems associated with this,” he said. “Especially with communities that are close to the mine.”

The discussions about the expansion of shelters in Nunavut follows a recent commitment from Northern Affairs Minister Denis Vandal, who told Pauktuutit Inuit women’s association that providing shelter funding will be a federal government priority.