Ottawa gives GN $155M for health care, housing infrastructure
Building northern infrastructure is central to building a ‘stronger, more resilient country,’ says federal minister
Rebecca Alty, the federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, announces $155 million in funding for infrastructure in Nunavut. Alty was joined by several Nunavut politicians, including, from left to right, Nunavut deputy Premier George Hickes, Minister Responsible for Nunavut Housing Corp. Cecile Nelvana Lyall, and Iqaluit Mayor Solomon Awa. (Photo by Mosha Folger)
This story was updated on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The Government of Nunavut will receive $155 million from Ottawa to build housing, post-secondary and health-care infrastructure.
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty announced the funding —part of the Build Communities Strong Fund — during a news conference at the Iqaluit Aquatic Centre on Thursday.
“Building essential infrastructure, especially here in the North, is a central part of our plan to build a stronger, more resilient country,” said Alty, who is also attending the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s general assembly in the city this week.
“As a government, we know, this commitment is especially important here in Nunavut, where the need for modern reliable infrastructure is urgent.”
Nunavut will receive $81.3 million over 10 years to support housing and post-secondary projects and $74.1 million for health infrastructure over three years.
As part of this agreement, Nunavut has committed to encouraging housing development by not increasing any fees or taxes that hinder housing supply, a federal government news release said.
Also speaking at the conference was Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president Paul Irngaut, Iqaluit Mayor Solomon Awa, Nunavut deputy Premier George Hickes, territorial Health Minister Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, and Cecile Nelvana Lyall, minister responsible for Nunavut Housing Corp.
“This federal government, for the first time ever, has acknowledged investments in health infrastructure,” Hickes said. “As the former health minister I can say, going back nearly 10 years, we’ve had these discussions.… So the recognition of investments in health infrastructure is very important.”
Now, the GN will determine where to best spend the funds, Hickes said.
“This does take a lot of time, and we want to make sure that we’re utilizing these dollars as effectively as possible.”
Awa acknowledged the benefit of working with Brewster, who is a former deputy mayor of Iqaluit, and he had kind words for Alty, a former mayor of Yellowknife.
“I worked with her,” Awa said. “We were advocating to Government of Canada. Now she’s sitting in the government. I’m really happy she’s going to be working here on the federal government side.”
This funding is part of a larger effort to increase the territory’s housing supply in Nunavut.
Through Build Canada Homes, the release stated, at least 750 new housing units will be built across Nunavut, including 25 units by NTI, 425 public housing units, 150 affordable housing units and 150 supportive housing units.
Nearly 100 modular housing units have been shipped to Nunavut, the release said, with some already occupied in Cambridge Bay. An additional 120 units are set to be delivered to Nunavut during the 2026 sealift season.
Correction: This story was updated to correct Rebecca Alty’s title.
Enough of the press releases, the 100M here, and 300M there announcements, please just build some damm houses already. And I don’t mean buying mobile homes from the South and installing them on lots up here. I mean real houses, built by the people from here.
You ever get the feeling you have seen this story before? Like many, many times in Nunavut. Seen the press conferences, the smiling Premier or Cabinet Ministers with either the Prime Minister or a FED Cabinet Minister or some delegated official all puffed up and proud. Well, you are not mistaken. It has happened so often you would need a calculator to add them all up over the last 7 years alone. So now we now have the latest traditional “surround the podium” and let’s all say how happy, grateful and how much of an impact this will make. “Hey photographer, get a shot of us all”. Make sure you get us all in the frame”. “Sorry reporter, we don’t have those details. Anyways they are not important”.
Below are just some of the announcements Nunavummiut have heard, watched and seen photo ops for from 2019 to 2025 (note that within each department multiple announcements were made for each project funding). IT EXCLUDES THOSE MADE SO FAR IN 2026 (amounts are approx):
* Housing – $370M
* Health Care & Mental Health – $260M
* COVID-19 Response & Recovery – $150M
* Infrastructure (Airports, Municipal, Community) – $170M
* Broadband & Digital Connectivity – $70M
* Clean Energy & Climate – $115M
* Economic Development (CanNor, Tourism, Business) – $60M
* Conservation & Protected Areas – $20M
* Public Safety & Justice – $15M
You can look all this up if you have time to spare. I did it so you don’t have to.
It is not all of them but gives a clear idea of just how many times announcements have been made. The real question is. Where that money actually went? Greater question. Did Nunavut actually receive all of this money? See that’s the thing. Podiums and stages and photo ops are cheap. They don’t ask for receipts or audits. We see it constantly from our politicians.
What should actually count more is if the people the money is supposed to benefit actually see results from it. Look at that list and ask yourself can you clearly see how that money has been used effectively in Nunavut and your communities?
So will say, “any money is good money”. Or as Grandpa used to say, “do not look a gift horse in the mouth”. I believe that is true if in fact it is REAL money and you get to open the gift and use it constantly and it improves the lives of Nunavummiut. Not sure it is possible to say that here confidently.
In addition to above you and add some money announced in 2026 so far. We have had the Minister of Housing Cecile Nelvana Lyall who announced in the LEG less than 2 months ago new FED funding for 750 new homes. When pressed for details she advised ” oh well, we cannot release that because that is an agreement between NHC and Build Canada Homes. Sorry what? NHC is not run by the GN? You cannot tell Nunavummiut and all Canadian Taxpayers about that money? How it will be spent over what period of time. What we now have received as of Thursday is it will be 25 units by NTI, 425 public housing units, 150 affordable housing units and 150 supportive housing units. Is that over 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years? Failure to disclose the program transparently is a failure right there. You see, that is what causes distrust and further erodes any confidence people have when you gather around a Podium for the speeches and photo-ops. If you cannot explain it in detail it means you either think A) People are foolish enough just to believe the positive impact it will have. B) If you detail it people will see it for exactly what it is. Icing on the cake, you would forgive Nunavummiut if anything said about housing has ZERO value based on the last 4+ years of the Nunavut 3000 fiasco.
The announcements made Thursday provide a little more insight. Nunavut will receive $81.3 million over 10 years to support housing and post-secondary projects. So that is $8.13 million per year. In addition to $74.1 million for health infrastructure over three years so $24.7 million per year. Hickes said quote, “Now, the GN will determine where to best spend the funds”. Ok great…hang on. How did the FEDS arrive at those numbers without some specific guidelines or description of the money required or requested and where it would be spent? I guess we will just ignore that one.
In the final analysis, It seems fair if people say, “that’s great, more money but not holding our breath to see how it positively impacts Nunavummiut”. So here is an idea GN. Every time you use a dollar out of any of those announcements tell Nunavummiut directly that you are using them for a new project/initiative you announce. That way tracking can be kept showing Nunavummiut how that supposed FED money is being used.
Nunavummiut heard a great deal about “transparency” in the last election and from this new Government. Unfortunately, that word seems to have as much value as the podium and photo ops.
So, you will have to forgive the skepticism