Sanikiluaq, Puvirnituq and Ottawa to get Inuit-specific women’s shelters

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada announces funding approval of 4 projects

Puvirnituq on Nunavik’s Hudson coast is seen here in this file photo. Pauktuutit has announced the approval of new shelters for Inuit women and children in Puvirnituq, Sanikiluaq and Ottawa. (File photo)

By Nunatsiaq News

Updated on Monday, February 27 at 5:18 p.m.

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada revealed which communities will get Inuit-specific shelters with an injection of funding from the federal government and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

The organization announced the successful applications to fund the projects during its organization’s annual general meeting, which took place last week in Iqaluit, according to a news release.

The shelters, which are meant to house vulnerable Inuit women and children, will be opened in Sanikiluaq, Puvirnituq and Ottawa.

Gerri Sharpe, Pauktuutit’s president, said in the release that she’s proud of the announcement.

“This has been achieved through 37 years of advocacy by Pauktuutit and is one of our biggest accomplishments,” Sharpe said.

“The approval of these applications is a concrete step towards the safety of Inuit women and children.”

The shelters are a product of the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, which is a joint project between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Indigenous Services Canada.

The corporation is providing $7.2 million in funding per shelter in territories and Inuit Nunangat.

According to the news release, Pauktuutit is hoping to build 13 emergency shelters: four in urban centres, eight in Inuit Nunangat and one specifically for gender-diverse Inuit.

The organization is also hoping to build 15 transitional shelters: eight in Inuit Nunangat and seven in urban areas.

Correction: This article has been updated from a previous version to indicate that Pauktuutit announced the successful shelter applications at its annual general meeting and that the shelters are funded by the federal government. It has also been updated to reflect that four projects were approved. 

Share This Story

(7) Comments:

  1. Posted by CB on

    Very well done, Pauktuutit , an achievement indeed and hopefully two of the first. Hear that, federal government?

    4
    7
    • Posted by Igunaaqi on

      Stop relying on the feds, Nunavut government has enough money for these things.

      8
      7
      • Posted by Priorities on

        Yes, but why build shelters when you can hire 11 Associate Deputy Ministers at an annual cost likely over $2 million?

        • Posted by Igunaaqi on

          3 billion dollar surplus is a lot of money, im sure they can afford 2 million dollars.

      • Posted by oh ima on

        That’s what governments are for, and they should pick up costs for social programs; Canada is not a sole capitalist country, and the government has safety nets for vulnerable citizens (well, they should). So it’s not an issue that funding came from the feds. Cause we know that GN does not have capital funding for shelters, and corporations won’t give funding out of goodwill.

      • Posted by Mr.Miyagi on

        Because the feds literally fund stuff like this and have a budget for this type of stuff, specifically.

  2. Posted by Mr.Miyagi on

    That’s great that pauktuutiit did this for the women. Our men’s association needs to match this and get a men’s shelter. I see men in dire need of help when their children lose it, or sometimes even their wives(like in my case).

    I know a man who gets daily beatings by a mentally ill child of his and has been in the hospital for broken bones.

    I know many men who get beat up by their wives and are forced to defend themselves because even a woman scorn will walk into the parents house to go physically assault them. The cops still arrest the victim, if the victim is male and the aggressor is female.

    We live in a sexist society against men. It’s sad because this results in men that are ashamed to admit they face abuse. “Man up” they say. Then men are angry and hurt, and hurt people hurt people.

    We are forced to provide and protect our families but what protects us men from what we are told to protect at all costs?

    We need something like a men’s shelter. Please, at the very least, provide that for us.

Comments are closed.