Hi all,

I am your Community Director/Community Liaison Officer for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

I want to begin by taking a moment to commemorate my colleague Johnny Malaiya Kublu, the QIA Community Director for Igloolik. Once again, I want to extend condolences to his family, friends and community members.

Johnny Malaiya Kublu was a kind, humble and well-respected community leader. He had a passion for our culture and worked hard to record and preserve the knowledge of Inuit Elders. He will be greatly missed.

COVID-19 RESPONSE AND INITIATIVES

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all QIA’s work and modes of operation have changed.

The QIA team has re-organized our priority files and created new emergency initiatives.

On March 30, QIA rolled out two initiatives to assist Qikiqtani Inuit during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Vouchers for Elders and
• Emergency funding for Qikiqtani families to social distance on-the-land and harvest.

 The initiatives rolled out in April 2020 and concludes at the end of June 2020.

 Working in partnership with Arctic Co-operatives, QIA allocated $3 million to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Qikiqtani Inuit Elders.

The funds are being distributed as $250 vouchers every other week. These vouchers are for Inuit Elders 60 years and above.

Elders are at higher risk of respiratory infections such as COVID-19. This emergency financial support will help them access healthy food and necessary cleaning supplies.

We have identified 1,200 eligible Elders for this initiative across the Qikiqtani Region.

As of May 26, 2020:

QIA provided a total of 4,783 vouchers and $1.9 million ($1,195,750) in groceries and hygiene supplies to Elders across the region.

In Clyde River, where there is no co-op store, we worked with Ilisaqsivik and Arctic Co-Ops Limited. In that community we have delivered approximately 6,704 lbs of food for Inuit Elders every other week, anticipating a total of more than 20 tonnes of food by the end of June 2020.

QIA Emergency Harvester Initiative

As of May 26, 2020, QIA’s Emergency Harvester Initiative has approved applications from 816 Inuit households distributed across every community in the Qikiqtani Region. That is a total of $1.2 million ($1,224,000) in support for Inuit to social distance on-the-land and harvest.

QIA has also ramped up our communications and public outreach efforts to continue to inform and educate Qikiqtani Inuit about COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures.

To date we have created:

• A series of COVID-19 posters shared on our website and social media
• A series of COVID-19 music videos created in partnership with Becky Hanto educate Inuit about issues such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing to protect Elders
• A series of short COVID-19 animated GIF’s targeted at families to educated children
• A COVID-19 portal on our website which helps Inuit access all essential applications and resources
• An educational resource page on our website for families homeschooling
• Series of blog posts informing our community about Inuit doing amazing things in the face of COVID-19

These posters, videos and posts have been shared hundreds of times with Inuit across the region.

The funds for QIA’s COVID-19 response plan come from the Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF) announced by the Federal Government on March 25, 2020. QIA’s share of that fund is approximately $6.1 million.

To date, these initiatives have been a huge success.

Our online applications for the on-the-land program are being completed quickly – with new applications arriving daily.

Families have sent photos and messages from successful on-the-land trips from across the Qikiqtani Region.

Elders have also told us that the grocery vouchers are making a big difference in their lives – giving them regular access to necessary household goods.

SUPPORT FOR HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS ORGANIZATIONS

QIA has also matched NTI’s pledge to provide $5,000 to each Hunters and Trappers Organization. Qikiqtani HTOs have told us that the $10,000 has been a huge help in feeding our communities and replenishing community freezers.

KAKIVAK SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAM

In addition to these initiatives, QIA is also supporting Kakivak to implement two programs to assist Inuit-owned businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The $1 million Qikiqtani COVID-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy Program will provide urgent wage subsidies to assist struggling businesses in the Qikiqtani Region avoid the lay-off of Inuit
• The $500,000 Qikiqtani COVID-19 Business Relief Program will provide small Inuit- owned businesses in the Region direct support for operating expenses to enable them to survive the negative impacts of the pandemic.

Through this initiative Kakivak has approved approved over $142,000 in funding to support 15 Inuit-owned businesses that lost all, or a significant amount of revenue as the result of COVID-19. More applications are currently under review.

The Qikiqtani Covid-19 Emergency Wage Subsidy and Training Program: Kakivak Association has approved over $197,000 in funding to support help maintain employment for 19 jobs that would have otherwise been lost as a result of COVID-19. More applications are currently under review.

QIA SPRING 2020 NEWSLETTER

You can get more information as well as reading fun articles about QIA’s COVID-19 initiatives in our Spring 2020 newsletter. It is on our website and social media pages.

NON-COVID-19 WORK AT QIA

TALLURUTIUP IMANGA AND TUVAIJUITTUQ

Our Department of Marine and Wildlife continues to deliver new benefits for Inuit through Tallurutiup Imanga.

Our Nauttisuqtiit team continues to deliver and grow: in Arctic Bay, our team has continued providing healthy country food to their community during the pandemic.

We have conducted the orientation over numerous video conferences for our new Community Supervisors in Grise Fiord and Clyde River. Additionally, our Community Supervisors for Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay will be officially starting in June.

We also continue to advance on infrastructure, including working closely with Qikiqtaaluk Business Development Corporation on the completion of business plans and feasibility studies for multi-use facilities.

We are in negotiations with the Government of Nunavut and Transport Canada on a Memorandum of Understanding to deliver community harbours in Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay. Additionally, we supported a joint consultation on harbour design in Arctic Bay and Clyde River with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

On governance, we have established the Inuit and Government of Canada consensus-based Aulattiqatigiit Board to oversee the management of Tallurutiup Imanga.

We have also consulted communities on the development and design of Imaq, an Inuit advisory committee, made to support management and the delivery of benefits.

We are also working closely on other feasibility activities to support Inuit stewardship across our region. This includes ongoing work associated with the feasibility process of Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area.

We will be undertaking an Inuit Qaujimanituqangit study of the Ellesmere Island marine region, which will inform long-term protection in the area. We are looking forward to learning about the Inuit Qaujimanituqangit of the Tuvaijuittuq and Sarvaqjuaq area.

In early 2020, we visited the community of Sanikiluaq to discuss the Qikiqtait initiative and future cooperation moving forward.

We have been working closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada to develop a “whole of government” approach for Qikiqtait.

QIKIQTANI TRUTH COMMISSION

QIA has received $17.5 million from the Government of Canada. The Contribution Agreement for the remaining $2.5 million is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Negotiations to reach our larger financial goal have been impacted by COVID-19.

We have hired a new team member, the Qimmiit Revitalization Coordinator, who will focus on that qimmiit related projects and programs.

MARY RIVER PROJECT

The Mary River Project is currently operation at 4.2 million tonnes per annum.

The Ministers’ decision on extending the Production Increase to 6.0 million tonnes per annum is expected any day.

Work regarding the Nunavut Impact Review Board Impact Assessment process on the Mary River Phase 2 Proposal is currently on pause.

NIRB has stated that there will not be a resuming of the Impact Assessment process until some COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

QIA staff have been actively engaged with Baffinland to development an Inuit Certainty Agreement to ensure that Inuit concerns are addressed before any support for Phase 2 can be provided.

As of March, 2020, all Nunavummiut employed by Baffinland have not been permitted to the Mary River Project site due to COVID-19 restrictions.

They have been in their home communities, while still receiving pay from Baffinland. We continue to receive updates from Baffinland on this situation.

The funding will cover a maximum period of 4 months, retroactive to April 1, 2020. The Fund has been designed to complement other federal measures announced to date.

These are unusual times and at QIA we are doing our best to continue to work with and support public health officials to keep Nunavummiut safe.

Protect our Elders, our communities, and yourself.

Please visit our website at qia.ca for more information and daily updates.

You can also get the latest news and updates from our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Thank you very much for your time. Have a good day and stay safe.