Housing, mental health, addictions among the issues Nunavimmiut care most about this election

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 News has asked several Nunavimmiut about the issues they care about.

Voice for youth

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. 

Struggles with mental health and addictions

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.

Okpik said he has tried every avenue to reach people who may need help, including through local radio. He said there are people who tell him they don't want to get better, but he still believes it's worth persevering with them. 

"Even if someone won't be getting better, listening to them can lessen the situation," he said. 

He said it's vital for the federal government to continue funding local organizations, like NIIA, that are trusted in the community. 

Fighting violence

Issues with mental health and addictions can also contribute to violence, often against women and children. Ending that is a mission of the Saturviit Inuit Women's Association. 

The rates of crime in Nunavik in 2023 were 12 times the provincial average in Quebec, according to data from Statistics Canada.

Trina Qumaluk, a board member with Saturviit who lives in Puvirnituq, said there wasn't much violence in Nunavik prior to the federal government's colonial policies in the last century. 

"[In] past years, our ancestors were still peaceful … [mostly] on the land. They were working hard, mostly to survive," she said. 

Saturviit has many proposals for healing and mental health programs, but she said "not enough" of them are being acted on.

"We would like the government to listen to Indigenous people in order for them to be well [with] mental and physical health," she said. 

Money for long-term housing

In Nunavik, the Nunavik Housing Bureau is the biggest landlord, owning more than 90 per cent of the region's housing. 

A housing needs study completed by the consulting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton in February details the struggles Nunavik faces with keeping up with population growth. 

Between 2021 and 2041, the population is expected to grow up by 23 per cent across the region. That's double the rate of the Quebec provincial average. 

Currently, there are just over 4,000 Nunavik Housing Bureau units, serving a population of over 14,000. The housing needs report estimates there's a shortfall of more than 1,000 units. 

Overcrowding is also a concern, with more than a quarter of Nunavik households having at least five people living in one unit. 

Lupin Daignault, the director general for the Nunavik Housing Bureau, said there are many other challenges with building houses that are particular to the North. 

"Everybody wants us to be really performant. I understand that. But in many communities we don't have warehouses, for example. But we have a huge inventory of different types of material. It's hard for us to be performant if we don't have the infrastructure to follow," he said. 

Training of staff is also an issue. Daignault wants to see more training available in the region, instead of seeing Nunavimmiut head down south for it. 

The Nunavik Housing Bureau has a tripartite funding agreement through Makivvik, with the provincial and federal government. They're currently in the process of renewing a one-year agreement, which includes $35 million to cover the cost of social housing, and they're working on a new, longer agreement. 

Daignault said it's imperative that funding continues with whoever forms the next government in Ottawa. 

"I hope the new government will keep in mind that the housing crisis in Nunavik … is different than in other parts of Canada because of how fast the region is growing," he said.

"So if this funding doesn't follow, I don't know, we're going to hit the wall."