Tungasuvvingat Inuit

TUNGASUVVINGAT INUIT CONCLUDES 34TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

September 16th, 2021 OTTAWA, ON Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) is pleased to announce the successful completion of our 34th Annual General Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario on Thursday, September 16th, 2021. The annual meeting was held virtually for the second year due to COVID-19.

The AGM was well attended (virtually) by Inuit community, TI staff and stakeholders and partners. A variety of presentations showcasing the incredible achievements of program service and delivery while placing a spotlight on the growth at TI in 2020 –2021 were applauded by all who attended. As the urban Inuit community grows across Ontario, TI has worked hard to match the demands. TI now employees the largest number of employees it ever has in its 34-year history. As the urban Inuit community grows, the demand for more employees to deliver programs grows and the need for more funding also increases. TI has never been tested like we have this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TI and our teams were able to pivot and successfully deploy critical programming and service delivery like food security, housing assistance, cultural supports, employment training, human trafficking intervention and much more. The Board of Directors and management team express extreme gratitude and respect to our staff that have made considerable sacrifices to ensure supports were available for urban Inuit to access.

In his year end address, TI Board of Director President, Kaajuk Kablalik stated, “In our lifetime, we have never witnessed the kinds of challenges we have faced since late 2019. The pandemic has threatened our urban Inuit community in many ways. The courage and strength of the people at TI came together and we could not be prouder of the effort, the resiliency, and the level of innovation that it took to push through.” Executive Director, Amanda Kilabuk highlighted the significant work TI accomplished despite the health challenges at hand saying, “As an organization, we strengthened our relationships with our Indigenous partners, participated on provincial and federal tables on topics like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women National Action Plan. Throughout the vaccination engagement process, TI contributed using an urban Inuit lens in collaboration with The Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health and Ontario Public Health. We successfully hosted a pop-up vaccination clinic and provided barrier free access to the vaccine. ward to 2022 and our 35th anniversary providing programs and services to Inuit in Ottawa and Ontario. It started with a dream and a small original funding base of $80,000. 34 years later we are funded to overt $10,000,000 annually. Ontario’s Inuit population has grown from under 100 in 1987 to estimates of 6000+ in Ontario. Most of these individuals have either personally accessed or had a family member access services or programming that is offered by TI. To match the growing urban Inuit population, TI will be diligent as we continue to invest in partnerships that will provide much-needed funding to build supports in Ottawa and Ontario.

For more information contact, Joël Lamoureux, Manager, Communications 613.299.4684 - jlamoureux@tiontario.ca

URBAN INUIT IN ONTARIO COUNTING ON LIBERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE SUPPORTS FOR GROWING POPULATION

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 OTTAWA, ON Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) congratulates the Liberal Party of Canada on being reelected in leading the nation as the federal governing party. TI is pleased with the relationships with the Liberal government and we look forward to continued support for the growing urban Inuit population across Ontario. As we reflect, we are pleased with the accomplishments achieved, the increased interest in strategic partnerships and the increased funding. We are encouraged and look forward to ongoing favorable outcomes in our relationship with the Liberal government. It is important to note that the 2016 Census released data that substantiated urban Inuit populations that exceed 40%. Based on the explosive population growth, the need for services and programs for urban Inuit continue to match the population increase. Identifying and addressing these unique needs as the national public government will require a policy framework that focus on Inuit living away from the north. (Inuit Nunangat) In 2022, TI will celebrate 35 years of serving urban Inuit in Ontario. In 1987, it was estimated that there were roughly 100 Inuit in Ontario. 35 years later, with the anticipation of the release of data from the 2020 survey, it is expected that the data will reveal that the urban Inuit population will approach 50%. The focus of TI is to work directly with Inuit communities in Ottawa and Ontario while advocating on behalf of Inuit living outside of Inuit Nunangat. It is imperative for effective reconciliation that the Liberal government understand the individual identities of Indigenous peoples of Canada and understand the uniqueness of each culture. Additionally, we invite the government to meet and discuss urban Inuit -specific issues. Effective governance and true reconciliation includes understanding the importance of culture and needs such as the portability of Inuit rights and understanding the requirement to offer supports for Inuit living away from the north. As the population of urban Inuit shifts to the south, we remind the Liberal government that they do so not because they want to but, because they are forced to. Often there is no choice but to move south as the personal and financial cost of staying in the north is unsustainable. The lack of housing, the exorbitant cost of living, lack of employment, unavailability of proper healthcare, pursuit of higher education, employment, and issues surrounding substance use and trauma are just some of the reasons for relocation.

The goal of TI is to make services and programs available to ensure the transition is made easier. TI offers more than twenty front line services and programs that require significant funding to operate. We look forward to continued relationship building, reconciliatory efforts on behalf of the Government of Canada and ultimately, enough supports and services for urban Inuit so that they may be self determined and enjoy the equity of opportunity provided to all Canadians.

For more information contact, Joël Lamoureux, Manager, Communications 613.299.4684 - jlamoureux@tiontario.ca Tungasuvvingat Inuit is the only Inuit-specific service organization of its kind in Canada offering 20+ highly integrated, front-line programs and services to urban Inuit in Ontario. Tungasuvvingat Inuit is a one -stop resource centre to meet the rapidly growing, complex, and evolving needs of Inuit in Ontario and is recognized as a leading advocate for urban Inuit and is prominent within the framework of national Inuit organizations