Housing, mental health, addictions among the issues Nunavimmiut care most about this election
CBC
Carbon taxes, military bases, fighting against tariffs – these are some of the big-ticket policy announcements heard from the major parties so far in this federal election campaign.
But in Nunavik, many residents say they just want action to address the basics, like food insecurity, mental health and addictions treatment.
Nunavik is part of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, the third-largest riding by area in the country.
The riding encompasses many different cultures, including Naskapi, Anishinaabe, Cree, Inuit and Francophone, and each community has its own unique stories and challenges.
CBC has asked several Nunavimmiut about the issues they care about.
20-year-old Mary-Jane Qinuajuak wants youth to have a voice, and for federal politicians to actually listen to them.
"I just want a place, or even something online, where youth can freely talk without any judgment," she said.
As Inukjuak's youth house coordinator, she sees several issues youth struggle with in her community, including food insecurity, education, bullying, and mental health. She said she was bullied growing up, and she doesn't want anybody else to experience what she went through.
She doesn't believe there are enough resources, such as therapists, to address those issues, and she doesn't believe Nunavimmiut are being given the opportunities to have new experiences.
"They should involve youth [to help them] … see new changes in their environment, in their region," she said.
Rates of suicide are estimated to be five to 25 times higher in Inuit Nunangat, compared to the Canadian average. That's according to a 2021 report from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, which drew data from the 2012 and 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Surveys.
Across Inuit Nunangat, the lifetime prevalence of having suicidal thoughts was the highest in Nunavik, according to the report, which also details the intersections between mental health and addictions.
Quaqtaq's Charlie Okpik is the president of Nunalituqait Ikajuqatigiittut Inuit Association (NIIA), which is funded by Health Canada to help Nunavimmiut struggling with substance use. He believes intergenerational trauma is often a driver of addictions. He went through that himself after he was sexually assaulted.
"It's something that's not easy to talk about… children being left alone, having no mom, being neglected by your mom or dad. … there is no one in the world who is perfect," he said in Inuktitut.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Eleven weeks of practice culminated for five seniors over the weekend at the Vintage People's debut concert.
Hundreds of Alberta educational assistants won't return to classrooms this fall, after changes in eligibility for Jordan's Principle funding.
Two nurses are speaking out about violent incidents they experienced while working in the emergency department at Eagle Ridge Hospital (ERH) in Port Moody, B.C. — saying the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) has failed to provide a safe working environment, and has sought to silence employees who speak out.
The bright orange 1969 Ford Shelby Mustang is Cameron Gillespie's dream car and something he plans to keep for the rest of his life, making the $105,000 Cdn price tag worth it.
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) has approved its financial plan for the next school year — and it includes an expected enrolment boost.
The national voice of the trucking industry in Canada is renewing calls for the federal government to pump the brakes on what it says is a $1-billion scam it calls "Driver Inc."
Every time Sawyer Lyttle is called by the wrong name, they say it feels like a jump scare.
Torontonians can expect a break from the scorching heat and humidity that has persisted across the city since Sunday as a heat warning that was issued by Environment Canada for Toronto and its surrounding areas comes to an end.
Kitchener city council directed staff to start drafting a renoviction bylaw Monday.
With the ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia once again plagued by cancellations, the MP for eastern P.E.I. says the federal government is planning to dredge Wood Islands Harbour.
Canadian residents will be asked about their sexual orientation in next year's national census, CBC News has learned.
Ontario is not on track to hit a key climate change target with less than five years to go, civil servants have told the province's new environment minister — information that appears to contradict his own statements since taking on the portfolio.
A local animal welfare group is sounding the alarm about a canine parvovirus outbreak it says has left at least two dogs dead at a local community housing complex.