The people of Clyde River do it for themselves

CLYDE RIVER — Clyde River’s cozy family resource centre is a social services show-piece for the cash-strapped government of Nunavut.

Why?

Because it illustrates the do-it-yourself approach to social issues that the GN wants to encourage in other Nunavut communities.

Ilisaqsivik staff, volunteers and users welcome the official visitors from Iqaluit with food and conversation.

Recently, a group of official visitors from Iqaluit flew to Clyde River to inspect the variety of programs and services that the centre provides on a shoestring budget.

Nunavut’s Premier Paul Okalik, Public Works Minister Manitok Thompson, Health Minister Ed Picco, Uqqummiut MLA David Iqaqrialu, Nattilik MLA Uriash Puqiqnak and health advisor Caroline Anawak travelled to Clyde River to learn about Ilisaqsivik’s home-grown approach.

Run by the non-profit Ilisaqsivik Society, the centre manages to be many things to many people.

Activities include elders’ counselling, health programs for children and pregnant moms, addictions counselling, women’s activities, suicide prevention counselling, youth counselling, literacy programs and an after-school program.

Kids sprawl around Ilisaqsivik’s comfy library.

“It helps a lot of people in Clyde River, and not only in Clyde River,” said Thomasie Paniluk, chairman of Ilisaqsivik’s board of directors.

The centre’s 7,500-square-foot space houses six offices, a large meeting room, a kitchen, a library and an open area.

Men meet on Monday evenings to talk, play music and work on projects. For two nights a week, young women learn to sew traditional clothing.

Anyone can stop by for a cup of tea or conversation, and those in need can get emotional support or food from the centre’s food bank.

Counsellor Repika Iqalukjuak is always ready to offer a cup of tea and a listening ear to anyone who stops by her office.

Ilisaqsivik produces a newsletter, and is working on a series of radio plays on personal development. The centre is also taping elders’ stories and translating healing materials into Inuktitut.

Recently 12 men and women from across Nunavut took part in a counsellor training program at Ilisaqsivik.

According to the coordinator, Beverly Illauq, the centre’s goal is to foster love and belonging through personal connections, empowerment through training, fun through activities, and freedom through counselling and personal development.

And it’s all served up in Inuktitut.

“People can come here, and they can speak here in their own language,” Illauq said.

The centre draws on more than 20 funding sources for its budget of $800,000 a year. Last year, it employed 64 full-and part-time employees, making the centre the community’s largest employer.

Clyde River’s population of 830 is 98 per cent Inuit, and two-thirds are under 25. Unemployment is high — 72 per cent. It has the highest unemployment figure of any Baffin community.

In 1996, members of the community formed the Ilisaqsivik Society as a way of dealing with Clyde River’s many challenges. A year later, the society was given the community’s aging nursing station for its offices and money to renovate the space.

“Our motto from the beginning has been ‘We can do it ourselves,’” Illauq said.

Illauq said social problems still exist in Clyde River, but people now have a better idea of where they’re going and what they want out of life.

“We know it’s not perfect. We’ve had two suicides here this year, but we have recovered more quickly,” Illauq said.

The centre wants to develop a more comprehensive approach to suicide prevention with other communities in North Baffin.

The program would try to bring North Baffin region’s suicide rate of 133.5 per 100,000 people down to Nunavut’s rate of 74 per 100,000 people or even to the Canadian national average of 20 per 100,000 people.

The program would be based on building and improving connections between people. Every member of the communities of Clyde River, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Igloolik and Hall Beach would be involved through local counselling efforts and group activities such as winter gatherings and summer youth camps.

The total start-up cost for the program would be $380,000. The project would last until 2006.

The centre now needs more money to carry on its dreams because, as it stands, it can’t even afford to pay its coordinator’s salary.

“Take a million bucks and throw it our way,” Illauq joked.