Fires prompt state of emergency in Northern Quebec community plagued by water shortage
A village in Quebec's Far North has declared a state of emergency after a fire ravaged two homes in the community, which is already struggling with a months-long water shortage.
The municipal council for Puvirnituq, Que., an Inuit community in the Nunavik region, made the decision Saturday after crews struggled to contain a blaze that ignited at around 3 p.m.
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In a Facebook post late Saturday night, Mayor Lucy Qalingo said two homes were lost and that federal and provincial governments should 'stop ignoring' the needs of northern communities she characterized as 'forgotten Canadians.'
The persistent water shortages in Puvirnituq prompted the Quebec government to begin evacuating patients from a health facility there earlier this week.
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Its 2,100 residents have been without consistent water deliveries for about two months after a water main froze in a blizzard in mid-March.
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The village has instead been forced to bring in water by truck in extreme weather on icy, snowy roads.
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Quebec says the health centre has reported an increase in people seeking treatment for gastroenteritis amid the water shortage.
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Ian Lafreniere, the minister responsible for Indigenous affairs, said in a statement on social media that fire crews indicate the water pipe should be restored 'shortly.'
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He says some 54 tonnes of water have been hauled via overpass to the village and distributed to residents since Friday afternoon.
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