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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.
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Puvirnituq mayor sees reason for hope as water shortage continues
Schools have closed, elders and health-centre patients have been temporarily sent south, and last week the Quebec government made an emergency delivery of 54 tonnes of water to help Puvirnituq through its ongoing water shortage crisis. A house fire Saturday destroyed two homes in Puvirnituq, as the limited amount of water hampered efforts of firefighters. (Photo by Lucy Qalingo) Mayor Lucy Qalingo hopes the community never has to go through this again. 'We are Canadians, and we have to get the same treatment as anyone else in Canada,' she told Nunatsiaq News on Tuesday. Puvirnituq's council declared a state of emergency Saturday after the water shortage hampered firefighters working to extinguish a house fire. Nine weeks ago, on March 18, the pipe that carries water from the pump at the nearby river about five kilometres to the treatment plant in town froze. A boil water advisory was issued, and since then municipal trucks have drawn untreated water directly from the river and transported it to homes and buildings in the community of about 2,100 people. Blizzard conditions have hampered efforts to deliver water. 'Our heavy equipment, like loaders and bulldozers, have been breaking down because of the amount of snow that we have been getting,' Qalingo said in a video-conference interview. 'We are overwhelmed. 'We always have those issues every year. We have normalized it.' The two schools in Puvirnituq, including Iquarsivik shown here, had to close prematurely as the water crisis prompted Kativik Ilisarniliriniq to send its teachers south. (Photo by Cedric Gallant) This year has 'made us realize that this is not normal. We are Canadians as well, we should get the same treatment as anyone else in Canada.' On May 16, the Inuulitsivik Health Centre deployed its contingency plan and relocated health-centre patients and Sailivik long-term elders facility residents, with accompanying nurses, to hospitals in Montreal. Qalingo said the community's two schools closed due to the water crisis. The school year was ended early, and school board Kativik Ilisarniliriniq sent teachers south to alleviate the burden facing water distribution in Puvirnituq. She said the community won't receive a new water pipe until the sea ice melts. The pipe has to be delivered by ship from England. During the crisis, some assistance has arrived. Receiving such support in a time like this 'has been stressful, but also amazing at the same time,' Qalingo said. Following its emergency water delivery, the Quebec government said more water will be shipped in over the coming days. Qalingo said Puvirnituq also received help from neighbouring Inukjuak, with some of its municipal staff working night shifts on the loaders and helping with water distribution. As well, families and friends from neighbouring communities offered to do Puvirnituq residents' laundry, flying it in and out of the village. And Puvirnituq itself has been distributing dry shampoo, hand sanitizer and wet towels to residents. Qalingo said she has written the Quebec government asking that the Canadian Rangers be deployed to help out. She said she sees light at the end of the tunnel — the snow is beginning to melt and the temperature is warming up. Environment and Climate Change Canada's seven-day forecast for Puvirnituq shows a high temperature of 2 C on Wednesday, going up to 11 C on Saturday and 10 C on Sunday. Municipal workers are installing a hose to act as a temporary connection between the water pump and the water treatment plant until the new pipe arrives. 'Hopefully by Sunday, we will be able to use it because it freezes too and we have to keep it warm,' she said. The Quebec government said in a news release Sunday that when the crisis ends, it will conduct an evaluation with Nunavik authorities to identify solutions to prevent it from happening again. 'This is not a time to pinpoint anyone, this is not a blaming game,' said Qalingo. 'It has to be heard at the government level, because the money we are receiving for the services to go on is not enough and it has not been enough for so many years. 'I hope that what we are going through today will not happen to our children. We always have to try to aim for a better future.'
CBC
20-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
School year ends early in Puvirnituq, Que., amid state of emergency over water shortage
The school year has come to an early end in Puvirnituq, Que., due to continuing issues regarding access to drinking water, water delivery and waste water management in the northern community. In a news release on Monday, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq — the local school board — said that in the current context, it could not "ensure the continuity of educational services" and was gradually closing two of its schools, effective Tuesday. The board emphasized students would not be penalized and those needing to write end-of-year exams to get compulsory high school credits would be able to do so. The closures of Iguarsivik and Ikaarvik schools, attended by students in elementary and high school, comes after a fire broke out Saturday, exacerbating an existing water shortage and prompting the mayor to declare a state of emergency. No one was injured in the fire, but the blaze, which broke out at around 3 p.m. in the Inuit village of 2,100 people, was only put out at around midnight. Puvirnituq Mayor Lucy Qalingo said in a statement that firefighting efforts were hampered by blizzard conditions, strong winds and the area's very limited water supply. Access to water has been limited for two months, ever since a pipe that connects the pump station to the treatment plant froze in mid-March. That has forced the village to drive farther out of town to truck in water which then needs to be manually chlorinated, slowing the delivery of water. Difficult weather conditions, including slushy roads and a series of blizzards, have made the situation worse. In an interview with CBC News on Sunday, Qalingo described unsanitary living conditions stemming from water access issues. "There are homes, their toilets are filled with feces because we don't have any running water. And for those who are less fortunate, they're thirsty," she said. Local health facilities in Puvirnituq have also been affected, with more than two dozen people flown south from the hospital and a care home for seniors. The school board said essential staff remain present at the schools and teams have been working with municipal authorities to develop an emergency plan and "provide water access points" to residents. As for the upcoming school year, the board said additional resources will be put in place for students who need "catch-up instruction."
Vancouver Sun
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Vancouver Sun
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. 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.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The persistent water shortages in Puvirnituq prompted the Quebec government to begin evacuating patients from a health facility there earlier this week. 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. The village has instead been forced to bring in water by truck in extreme weather on icy, snowy roads. Quebec says the health centre has reported an increase in people seeking treatment for gastroenteritis amid the water shortage. 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.' He says some 54 tonnes of water have been hauled via overpass to the village and distributed to residents since Friday afternoon. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
National Post
18-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
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. Article content Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content The village has instead been forced to bring in water by truck in extreme weather on icy, snowy roads. Article content Quebec says the health centre has reported an increase in people seeking treatment for gastroenteritis amid the water shortage. Article content 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.' Article content He says some 54 tonnes of water have been hauled via overpass to the village and distributed to residents since Friday afternoon. Article content
