Nunavut

People in Arviat, Nunavut, push back on proposed site for fuel tank farm

People in Arviat, Nunavut, push back on proposed site for fuel tank farm

Nooks Lindell was sitting in his home, having tea with his cousin, two summers ago when he saw a group of people working out on the land outside his home. He later learned the people were surveyors looking at the land as the potential site of Arviat's new fuel tank farm. "I was shocked. I was pretty upset," Lindell said of finding out about the potential tank farm location. Lindell lives in the home where he grew up in Arviat. He and his partner are raising their two young children there. "I spent the last two years at home being a stay at home ataata (father) … so I've spent a lot of time looking out the window right where they're going to put that tank farm," he said. 

Through a lens of Inuit knowledge, Nunavut enviro-tech program arms students to tackle climate change

Through a lens of Inuit knowledge, Nunavut enviro-tech program arms students to tackle climate change

One of the drivers of this trend is the Arctic warming effect, a phenomenon that occurs when sea ice and snow, which naturally reflect the sun's heat, melt into sea water. The water then absorbs more solar radiation and warms up. The consequences — longer ice-free seasons, unpredictable weather conditions and warmer waters — are felt at all levels of the Arctic ecosystem's food chain.

Trudeau announces $800M for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives

Trudeau announces $800M for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $800 million in funding over seven years for large Indigenous-led conservation projects covering almost a million square kilometres of land. "Communities have been clear — safeguarding lands and waters will help build a strong future for generations to come," Trudeau said Wednesday. "As a government, our role is to listen and support that vision."

Why ajuinata is the Inuktitut word we could all use right now

Why ajuinata is the Inuktitut word we could all use right now

When Gov. Gen. Mary Simon visited Windsor Castle last month, she may have taught Queen Elizabeth a new word: ajuinata, roughly pronounced aye-yoo-ee-nah-tah. In fact, it's not a new word at all, but a very old one, Simon later explained to the CBC's Adrienne Arsenault. "Ajuinata means that if you're confronted with adversity or things that are difficult, you keep going, you don't give up, and you need to make a commitment to continue to make changes," said Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the office.

Nunavut sees 5-year high for water advisories in 2021

Nunavut sees 5-year high for water advisories in 2021

Nunavut communities have seen a five-year high of water advisories in 2021, without counting Iqaluit’s ongoing water emergency. As of Friday, about a month before the year’s end, 14 water advisories had been issued in seven communities outside of the capital city this year, more than tripling the four advisories issued in 2017. Nunavut’s MP Lori Idlout spoke about the lack of clean water in Indigenous communities across Canada on Thursday. “We Indigenous people can no longer be discounted or written off in hopes that we disappear,” she said in Inuktitut in the House of Commons. “I know I have to keep repeating ‘clean water for all indigenous communities,'” Idlout said. “This is not the first time and I will repeat it again.”

Iqaluit’s Water Crisis Demands Action Now

Iqaluit’s Water Crisis Demands Action Now

On October 12, the city of Iqaluit, Nunavut declared a state of emergency following the discovery of fuel contamination in their water supply. A full month later, the city remains in a water crisis, with little indication as to when the water supply will be back in service. The Canadian Armed Forces have been enlisted for an indeterminate period of time to provide potable water to residents. This indefinite military presence in the city is disturbing – the government is forcing citizens to depend on the armed forces for drinking water, a basic necessity. As a city with a large Inuit population, the crisis in Iqaluit highlights the federal government’s continued disregard of Indigenous peoples and their health. According to Lorraine Rousseau, Public Service Alliance of Canada North Regional Executive Vice President, this represents “decades of broken promises and ongoing inequalities that Inuit and Indigenous communities face.”

Qikiqtani Inuit Association giving away 30,000 litres of bottled water

Qikiqtani Inuit Association giving away 30,000 litres of bottled water

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association is going to give away 30,000 litres of bottled water to support Inuit in Iqaluit during the drinking water crisis. The elderly and anyone facing additional barriers to accessing clean drinking water will get priority. The regional Inuit association is also making a $7,000 donation to support Qajuqturvik Food Bank during the crisis. Funding for this program was made available from the Indigenous Services Canada.

The House: Water worries go beyond boil water advisories, Indigenous leaders say

The House: Water worries go beyond boil water advisories, Indigenous leaders say

Concerns about water access in Indigenous communities go well beyond persistent drinking water advisories, two Indigenous leaders say. Both Iqaluit Deputy Mayor Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster and Samson Cree Councillor Mario Swampy said there's still more work to do in the wake of the $8 billion settlement reached recently in two class action lawsuits against the federal government over boil water advisories.

Rural Alaskans struggle to access and afford water

Rural Alaskans struggle to access and afford water

Water scarcity in rural Alaska is not a new problem, but the situation is getting worse with climate change. Lasting solutions must encourage the use of alternative water supplies like rainwater catchment and grey water recycling. They must also address the affordability of water related to household income, say researchers from McGill University. Washing hands with clean water is something most people take for granted, yet for Alaska's rural residents, this is often not the case. When people pay for water by the gallon, serious thought is given to how much is used – even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CANADA IN 2030: Future of our water and changing coastlines

CANADA IN 2030: Future of our water and changing coastlines

Flooding in New Brunswick, drought in the Prairies, disappearing permafrost in the North, and the oceans creeping up on our coasts - the reality of a changing climate in Canada is becoming harder to ignore, and the United Nations has stated that it is the biggest systematic threat to humanity.