Kuujjuaq – The effects of trauma are extensive and intricate, impacting multiple generations, particularly due to substance abuse. The establishment of an addiction treatment centre that observes Inuit traditions and practices can serve as a starting point for community members, their families, friends and loved ones to begin the healing journey. Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, Ian Lafrenière, Minister responsible for First Nations and Inuit Relations, and Dave Forrest, President of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre, participated with many dignitaries and regional partners in the grand opening of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre in Kuujjuaq.
The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre provides recovery services to Nunavimmiut struggling with problematic substance use. Through the construction of new modern facilities, the centre will be able to triple its reception capacity, develop services adapted to Inuit culture, and meet the growing needs of families across Nunavik.
The new building consists of 32 beds for users and their children, as well as 12 staff housing units. With a treatment program offered in Inuktitut, the centre provides a warm and welcoming environment for users to begin their healing process. Based on best practices in problematic substance use, the program considers the trauma specific to Nunavik communities. A variety of family housing units, a daycare centre, and a school tutoring area allow families to stay together, thus improving the quality of life for children when a loved one stays at the centre. Construction of an access road and parking lot adjacent to the centre completes this project, which is essential to the well-being of the 14 Inuit communities in Quebec.
The construction of the Isuarsivik centre, a $43.6 million project, was carried out with the financial support of several partners, including an investment of $29 million from the Government of Canada, $8.5 million from the Government of Quebec and $6.13 million from Isuarsivik Centre, Makivvik Corporation, Kativik Regional Government and Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau.
Lastly, the Government of Quebec, through the involvement of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, also announced that funding of $350,000 for the first year, then $3 million per year for the following three years, would be used to support the care and services provided in Isuarsivik.
“Thank you to our partners, funders and the Isuarsivik family for standing with us on this significant path and making today possible. After nearly 18 years of hard work, it is finally possible to gather and celebrate the National Grand Opening. Today, we unite in pursuit of a common vision for the future – to deliver comprehensive and culturally sensitive healing programs for Nunavimmiut.” – Etua Snowball, Executive Director, Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre