Rankin Inlet long-term care centre reduces need for elders to go south

Ceremony marks construction completion of $59.4-million, 24-bed facility the GN approved in 2019

Rankin Inlet Mayor Harry Towtongie, speaking at a construction completion ceremony, says the new 24-bed long-term-care facility in his hamlet will reduce the need for elders to go south to receive the care they need. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)

By Arty Sarkisian

Rankin Inlet elders, hamlet officials and Government of Nunavut representatives celebrated the completion of the community’s long-term-care facility Tuesday.

“We won’t need to go to Ottawa to see our loved ones,” Mayor Harry Towtongie said at the start of the ceremony, attended by about 70 people including elders.

Many Nunavut elders who need long-term care must go south, often to Ottawa, to receive the level of service they need.

The Government of Nunavut  approved Rankin Inlet’s $59.4-million facility in 2019 as part of a plan to provide 156 extended-care beds to elders in the territory by 2030.

The 24-bed centre will start operating in the spring, Nunavut Housing Minister of Lorne Kusugak said.

Construction was expected to be completed in 2023, but was delayed by payment issues between the project’s contractor and subcontractor.

“It wasn’t easy. The MLAs worked really hard on this, and even we were tired of waiting for it to be completed,” Kusugak said.

Check back later for full coverage of the construction completion ceremony.

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