Hamlet of Arctic Bay, Nunavut, warns people against misusing Jordan's Principle program

The Hamlet of Arctic Bay is warning its residents to not misuse the money they receive under the Jordan's Principle (JP) program.

Under the federal program for Inuit and First Nations, households in Nunavut with children up to 18 years of age can receive $500 per child each month. There's an additional $250 for children under the age of three.

André Larabie, the chief administrative officer at the Hamlet of Arctic Bay, said there are several streams for accessing funding through the program. The one being distributed through the hamlet is for purchasing healthy food. 

But he said he's seen several posts on Facebook about people reselling groceries purchased using JP funds for cash. 

"That's in breach of the agreement they signed that they would be accepting the [gift card] and that the food would be purchased to feed their family. It's not to be sold," he said.

"Anyone that is caught doing that will risk losing their privilege of receiving the funding because it's fraud." 

Larabie said the hamlet has received $2.9 million to run this program from June 1, 2024 until March 31, 2025, and there are currently 456 children signed up.

He said all invoices are audited — so they will catch people bending the rules. 

"The money is for feeding your children, so let's stick to that and let's do it right or we will lose the funding next year," he said. 

He's waiting for advice from federal government officials about how to deal with cases of JP funds being misused. 

That could include a warning letter or suspension from the program, he said, and renewal of the funding for the community is contingent on the program being run properly. 

There is a formal process by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for investigating allegations and complaints about the misuse of public funds, by email or phone.

Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout understands the hamlet's concerns about losing its funding if the program isn't properly run.

However, she said some Nunavummiut are forced into tough financial situations, with the lack of employment opportunities in the territory.