The federal government is spending $81.3 million on housing infrastructure and post-secondary education over 10 years on top of $74.1 million in health infrastructure over three years, federal and Nunavut ministers announced in Iqaluit on July 23. But exactly where that money will go remains unknown. “We’ve gone through an internal process to look at all of the current health infrastructure and all of our current needs, and we still have to go through the capital planning process in order to decide where that funding will actually be allocated, so that information will come,” said Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, the Government of Nunavut’s minister of Health. Renovations in specific health centres and expanding health centres could be part of where the funding is put to use, Brewster said when asked a second time. Underserved communities in Nunavut could benefit from the funding. “In Kugaaruk, there’s only one health centre. There’s only one point of care for people to access healthcare in the community, and this kind of funding makes it possible for us to to expand our care in communities that really need it,” Brewster said. There are “a number of projects on the books” for post-secondary education that the federal funding will support, according to George Hickes, Nunavut’s deputy premier. He said that some of the funding could go towards construction costs for post-secondary education. “We’ve had opportunities with the Nunavut Arctic College where we have had federal investments in expanding existing resources,” said Hickes. “But now, it’s another opportunity to take a look at recognizing community learning centres at the Arctic college and how they roll out things with the Department of Education on much-needed infrastructure across the territory.” GN Education Minister David Akeeagok was unable to be present for the funding announcement. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Rebecca Chartrand highlighted the federal government’s deal with the GN and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to provide 750 homes for the territory. Nearly 100 modular homes have been shipped to the territory under that deal, the federal government said. The GN has agreed to freeze taxes on new housing development.
Ottawa announces $155.4 million for unspecified Nunavut housing, health, and post-secondary infrastructure projects
