Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, and Gwen Healey Akearok, Executive and Scientific Director of the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, announced more than $7.2 million in joint funding to support the construction of a new community wellness hub in Iqaluit.
"We are committed to working together with Inuit to build a brighter, greener and healthier future in Iqaluit and across Nunavut. Investing in projects that are Inuit-led to improve community well-being is an integral part of that mission. Supporting projects like these is essential to fostering better health outcomes, including positive mental health and well-being. It is also key to advancing reconciliation and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and the federal response to missing and murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people," said the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
The Inuusirvik Community Wellness Centre will be a place where Nunavummiut can go to access a wide range of services and resources, including early learning language and cultural programs, childrearing and parenting support programs, land-based programs for youth, counselling, literacy programs, drop-in public health and health promotion programs, as well as community-led post-secondary and life-long learning initiatives.
The new facility will provide a home to three non-profit organizations: Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, Ilisaqsivik Society, and Tasiuqtigiit Hand-in-Hand Society, which currently provide much needed support to Nunavummiut families, youth, and seniors, and those experiencing poverty in the Qikiqtani region.
"By working with the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, we are supporting an Inuit-led initiative that will improve the wellbeing of Inuit and Northerners. With a new Inuusirvik Community Wellness Hub as well as the Nunavut Treatment Centre project, our government continues to work with Nunavummiut on projects that close the infrastructure gap for mental health and wellness services, and draw on local traditional knowledge, culture and expertise that best serve community needs," said the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor.
"The Inuusirvik Community Wellness Hub will be an entirely non-profit building. Our goal is to provide a home for community-serving organizations delivering programs and services for families in Iqaluit. This funding from Infrastructure Canada is a significant investment in realizing our collective vision. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring it to life for the health and well-being of our families and community," said Gwen Healey Akearok, Executive and Scientific Director of Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre.
Additionally, the building's environmentally friendly construction, which includes steel piles to minimize vulnerability to permafrost thaw and materials that can withstand the unpredictable winds, will help further Canada along its path towards a more sustainable future.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Inuit and all Canadians.
