ᓴᒃᑯᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒡᓂᒍᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᐊᓄᕆᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᐅᒻᒪᖅᑯᑎᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᒧᑦ
Sakku signs on for Agnico wind farm Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Vol 25 No 24
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Nunavut's Award-Winning Voice of Kivalliq
Cody Punter/NNSL photo
Waiting for results People gather in Rankin Inlet's rec hall to hear the results of the community's cod derby on May 27.
Housing shortage taking mental health toll: MLA Cathy Towtongie says growth due to Agnico Eagle mine places strain especially on large families by Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The MLA for Rankin Inlet North and Chesterfield Inlet says the territory's housing shortage is taking a mental health toll on people – and called on Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. to build more homes. Cathy Towtongie hosted a radio call-in show before heading off to Iqaluit for the current sitting of the legislative assembly in Iqaluit. Throughout the hour, the one thing which most residents were concerned about was housing. Towtongie said she has heard from families who have more than 10 people living in houses with two bedrooms
and one bathroom. "They are like sardines in these houses. If we had one bathroom for 20 people, how can we have our own personal hygiene, how can we have our private time," said Towtongie in an interview with Kivalliq News. "It is definitely affecting people's mental health." According to numbers which Towtongie requested from the GN, there are currently 120 people on the waiting list for public housing. With so many people living in such small units, there is little personal space, which means it is difficult to find peace and quiet. Towtongie said Rankin Inlet, in particular, needs more housing to deal with
the extra growth it is experiencing as a result of the mine opening up. Towtongie said more people are moving to the community looking for jobs, which is in turn placing a greater strain on housing. Towtongie pointed to a 2017 memorandum of understanding between Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. and the GN which mentioned the company would build more housing. "I questioned the minister of Economic Development and Transportation where that is and I didn't get a proper response. But the mine, if they have staff, they could build housing for their staff." Towtongie said she knows of at least one man who has approached her about suicidal
thoughts because of the tense situations in his house. "A young man who told me he wants to commit suicide. Sometimes when there is stress in the house. He goes for long walks." The Nunavut Housing Corporation has plans to build 100 public housing units across Nunavut over the next two years. But just 30 of those will be in the Kivalliq, with 10 in Rankin and another 20 in Arviat. Towtongie also said there should be a homeless shelter for men in Rankin Inlet. The community currently has a shelter for women but not for men. "We have a lot of homeless young men walking around," she said.
Sports Fishing derby season wraps up ᐃᖃᓗᒡᔪᐊᕋᓱᖕᓂᖅ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ Arts Katuutiit rocks again ᑲᑑᑏᑦ ᑎᑕᖃᑦᑕᓕᕐᒥᔪᑦ
"This is the biggest change in the Inuit culture that is having an impact." – Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet MLA Cathy Towtongie on how commercial caribou hunting has changed Inuit tradition, page 6.
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