Latest news with #KativikRegionalGovernment
CBC
20 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Search is on for new water source in Umiujaq, Que., as local spring dries up
The community of Umiujaq, Que., is looking for a new source of drinking water, after its water reservoir was found empty last year. Next to the village's water treatment plant is a large reservoir to store water collected during the summer. When it's full, it can hold roughly two years' worth of water for the community. Hossein Shafeghati, the Kativik Regional Government's municipal public works director, said he was notified in March 2024 that the reservoir had no more water. He brought in researchers from Université Laval to investigate. The researchers' theory is that the spring that Umiujaq draws water from has dried up, and thawing permafrost could be to blame. "They believe that the permafrost might have degraded and changed the slope. So that water is going somewhere else [away from the reservoir]," Shafeghati said. Last summer, the researchers flew in pumps to extract water from a part of the river further north, to ensure there is sufficient supply. In the coming months, some of the researchers will be back in Umiujaq to look for a new, permanent water source near the community. Challenges of location Richard Fortier is one of the researchers involved in the search for a new source. His team has identified several possible sites, but all have logistical challenges. One section of a local river, for example, is near a landfill. "If you want to use the surface water in the river, you have to pump the water uphill of the dump and the wastewater pump. Otherwise if you take it downhill, you are vulnerable to the contamination from the dump and the wastewater pump," Fortier said. That would mean a more complex — and costly — construction job. Another researcher, Jean-Michel Lemieux, also floats the idea of underground water as a possible source, like in the other Nunavik communities of Salluit and Kuujuaraapik. The warmth from a body of water can create taliks – layers of unfrozen ground within a permafrost region. Lemieux, who's studied the area for a decade, said there is a valley with groundwater, though it's several kilometres away from the village. But he believes it could be worth it, given groundwater is better quality – and tastes better — than surface water. "The soil naturally filters the water, so there's bacteria, there's viruses. So the rock quality of the water that could be pumped from an aquifer is much better." Once a viable new water source is identified, the Kativik Regional Government will need to get it approved with Quebec's Environment Ministry. It will also take time to build new infrastructure, so Shafeghati anticipates the entire process could take up to five years. Other impacts of climate change Thawing permafrost, on areas with a slope, can cause active layer detachment. "That is when that active layer sitting on the slope loses the attachment to the permafrost and then it slides down the slope. That's where you have landslides," Shafeghati explained. The road to Umiujaq's airport could be at risk, he said, though he doesn't believe other parts of the village will need to be relocated because of permafrost degradation. However, it will be a factor in where they choose the new water source to be situated. Last week, the Quebec government announced $1.85 million for landslide research in Nunavik. The province said that money will help Université Laval to map out landslide-prone areas in the region, and funding is also being provided to the Kativik Regional Government to improve risk management. In an email to CBC News, Umiujaq Mayor Jack Niviaxie said he's seeing the effects of climate change already in his community. About 460 kilometres east of Umiujaq, climate change is also threatening the water in Tasiujaq. That village, situated near Ungava Bay, is renowned for its high tides. Shafeghati said the tidal fluctuation there is greater than the Bay of Fundy, and rising sea levels could be pushing water further up the community's river. "There are times in the year that there is salt water intrusion and there are sensors in the system that will shut down the pumping when there is salinity in the river," he said. He said the system in Tasiujaq is fine for now, but in the new few decades, the community may have to consider moving the water pumping station further upriver.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Province commits $1.8M to study Nunavik's landslides
The Quebec government is spending $1.85 million to research landslides in Nunavik. The Ministry of Public Security committed $1.15 million to Laval University to launch a research project studying the phenomenon in the region's clay soils, the ministry announced May 30. Work will involve the mapping and characterization of deposits untouched by water but which still present risk of landslide, and compiling an inventory of large landslides that have occurred in Nunavik. 'The results of this project will deepen our understanding of the geological and climatic conditions that control landslide initiation in cold regions such as Nunavik,' Laval University professor Patrick Lajeunesse said in the French-language release. The study 'will play an essential role in strengthening the resilience of northern communities to these processes of land surface change,' he added. Two landslides were confirmed in October 2022 near a river on the Hudson Coast about 60 kilometres south of Umiujaq. And in April 2021, a mudslide dumped 45 million cubic metres of debris into the Great Whale River, about eight kilometres from Kuujjuaraapik and Whapmagoostui, in what would later be described as the second-largest landslide recorded in Quebec history. The provincial government also gave $700,000 to Kativik Regional Government to improve its landslide risk management and increase community resilience. The work involves calculating the risk of landslides across Nunavik, using Inuit knowledge to make a risk management plan, and devising an education plan keeping Inuit culture in mind. Kativik Regional Government chairperson Hilda Snowball said in the release she's pleased the Quebec government 'recognizes the urgent need to further assist our regional government in strengthening its risk management capacity.' She said the funding will help all 14 communities 'deal with the potentially serious residential and environmental emergencies that come with living in Nunavik.' The funding commitment is part of Quebec's Nordic Action Plan 2023-28, which aims to improve knowledge and implement risk mitigation measures for hazards in the North. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Nunavik Police Service aims to reinvent itself with funding increase
The Nunavik Police Service hopes to reinvent the way it serves the region after receiving a five-fold increase in its funding through an agreement between Kativik Regional Government and the Quebec and federal governments. The deal provides Nunavik police with $562 million to carry out its operations, spread over a five-year period from 2024 to 2029. That dwarfs the previous agreement, signed in 2018 and in effect until 2023, which totalled $115 million. 'Historical,' is how police Chief Jean-Pierre Larose described April's renewal of the Agreement on the Provision of Policing Services in the Kativik Region, during a French interview at his Kuujjuaq office on Wednesday. 'We have the means for our ambitions now,' he said. He said the funding increase is due to a detailed five-year plan Nunavik police presented to Quebec's public security ministry, which wants to reform the Nunavik Police Service and turn its focus to community policing. Over the past seven months, two people have died during incidents involving Nunavik police officers: Joshua Papigatuk, of Salluit, in November, and another man in Kangiqsualujjuaq in May. Both cases are being investigated by Quebec's police public watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes. 'It is about growing closer and gaining the trust of Inuit by any means possible,' Larose said of community policing, adding he's open to suggestions from people in the Nunavik communities. 'That would be perfect, because I admit that I am starting to run out of ideas myself,' he said. 'I need the population to help us as well.' One significant upgrade will be a jump to 32 investigators for the service's mixed investigation team, which tackles drug smuggling and contraband. That's twice the current number of investigators. The Hudson and Ungava coast areas will each now have teams of 16 investigators, to improve efficiency and capacity throughout the region. Larose also wants to incorporate lieutenants — ideally, one in every village — to ensure the growing number of officers coming into the region are well structured and supervised. By 2029, he said, Nunavik Police Service will have over 250 officers compared to the 150 working now. 'I want them to be on the road, supervise the calls, supervise police officers during their interventions,' he said of the lieutenants, who will be picked from the current pool of Nunavik officers. Larose said the roughly 65 new officers who arrived within the past year and a half average 27 or 28 years in age and may lack experience. 'I am fully aware of that, so it is even more important to have a system of coaching and supervision in place,' he said. Relaunch ing the cadet program to recruit Inuit youth who would accompany officers during their outreach work, is also a priority for Larose. He believes that — alongside a more rigorous cultural introduction program to prepare incoming officers — will improve communication between the communities and the police. Larose wants incoming officers to spend days with community members to experience Inuit life and make stronger connections. All officers will also take a communication tactics course in de-escalating incidents, to help them defuse situations especially when mental health issues are involved. The funding increase will also allow Nunavik police to explore using alternative non-lethal weapons. Larose points out that in both recent cases where a police altercation ended in the death of a civilian, the conducted energy weapon, also known as a stun gun, was ineffective. 'This makes me question, it tells me that we should use other options where in some situations a rubber projectile weapon could be more beneficial,' he said.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Temporary pipe installed in Puvirnituq amid ongoing water emergency
As of last night, Hilda Snowball, chairperson of the Kativik Regional Government said they've started filling up the water pumping station through the pipe, though there's still ongoing work to clear the road to get there.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Temporary pipe installed in Puvirnituq, Que., amid water emergency
Social Sharing Water is starting to flow through a temporary pipeline in Puvirnituq, Que., amid an ongoing water shortage in the community. Workers spent most of Wednesday unrolling a roughly three kilometre long flexible pipe that bypasses a section of the permanent pipe that froze mid-March. This critical corridor connects the water pumping station to the treatment plant. The blockage, coupled with hazardous weather conditions, has restricted water delivery across the community of 2,100 people and led to a state of emergency on Saturday. The situation has resulted in school closures, and some hospital patients to be sent south for care. Hilda Snowball, chairperson of the Kativik Regional Government (KRG), said on Wednesday that they've started filling up the water pumping station, though there's still ongoing work to clear the snow on the road to the station and sewage lagoon. "The temporary pipeline will fill up the water pumping station where the water trucks get their water from, so it will continue delivering water to each resident," she said. Truck drivers from neighbouring Inukjuak have also been helping out with deliveries. Puvirnituq mayor Lucy Qalingo says things are looking up for her community and she's hopeful the interim measures will be fully operational by Sunday. "Roads are thawing, the snow is thawing, the sun is shining," she said. Roughly 120,000 litres of water has been flown in, alongside sanitary products. Service points have been set up at the primary school and hospital. These are places places where people can access necessities, such as bottled water, sanitary products and disposable utensils. A dozen local Canadian Rangers have been activated to help distribute supplies. Those rangers were already helping out unofficially in the community prior to the federal emergency management minister approving that request. Though Snowball, the chairperson of the KRG, said the official deployment means the Canadian Rangers can alleviate some of the expenses of the relief efforts. Funding is 'peanuts' Deliveries of supplies will continue until the state of emergency is lifted, Snowball said. After that the focus will be on fixing the pipe that froze, which can't happen until summer. A heating wire, which prevents water from freezing during the winter, has reached the end of its life. "It was impossible to thaw the area where the pipeline froze, so there will have to be construction on the pipeline during the summer once the ground is unfrozen," Snowball said. Determining why the pipe froze will also be a priority for the Quebec government. In 2023, the KRG signed a five year deal with the Quebec government which provides $163 million for municipal infrastructure. While Snowball appreciates that funding, she said the amount is "peanuts" when it's spread across 14 Nunavik villages. She uses the example of the renovation of a childcare facility in another Nunavik village costing roughly $7 million. She said water infrastructure is particularly outdated in the region and there are three villages looking to do repairs on pipes. "They're now 15 to 20 year old infrastructure, which is why we are seeing a lot of damage with the pipelines," she said. "As well, the service trucks … before the pandemic we purchased trucks at about $300,000. Now they're at $600,000. It will require a lot of funding to really catch up." Ian Lafrenière, Quebec's minister responsible for relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, has reiterated his desire to conduct a post-mortem after the emergency phase is over, though he doesn't believe money is the issue. "I heard people talking about the lack of money and the funding in the last agreement that we gave KRG. There was still some money in the agreement that was leftover," he said.
