Our Priorities

We have identified five urgent priorities to achieve meaningful improvement in the lives of Nunavummiut over the next four years and to lay the foundations for transformative change for future generations:

Aging with dignity in Nunavut;
Expanding the housing continuum;
Enabling health and healing;
Reinvesting in education; and
Diversifying our local economies.

The issues we must address together are deeply-rooted, inter-related and difficult to resolve.

We recognize that these issues have continued to impact Nunavummiut for decades. Previous governments have endeavoured to make progress in each of these areas and our administration will advance this work by:

Taking bold and practical action;
Maximizing the opportunities to establish enduring partnerships for initiatives in the short, medium and long term;
Reviewing and refreshing existing strategies and plans in order to focus efforts and move forward more rapidly on our priorities;
Emphasizing actions that have the potential for tangible outcomes in more than one priority area; and
Ensuring that the public service is optimally-structured, staffed and supported to deliver on our priorities.

Progress towards strategic outcomes in each of our priority areas depends on addressing gaps in Nunavut’s Inuit labour force and infrastructure. It relies on reclaiming and strengthening our Inuit identity. We will prioritize:

Inuit language and culture to strengthen our foundations and our resilience;
Education and training for employment and self-reliance; and
Innovative construction methods to increase efficiency and decrease the costs of infrastructure for healthy communities and economic development.

Aging with dignity in Nunavut

We will invest in providing care for aging Nunavummiut so our grandparents and parents can live their last years in dignity, closer to family in our territory.

Strategic outcomes

Improvement in daily life for Nunavummiut who are aging
Enhancements to long-term care facilities and supports for independent living
Fewer Inuit Elders relocated from their home communities
More Inuit employed as caregivers for Elders
Better mental health, physical health, and well-being for those who are aging
Enduring partnerships with Inuit organizations, communities, and the non-profit sector to enable Nunavummiut to age with dignity and care

Actions to make progress towards these outcomes
We will:

Develop a comprehensive Elder and senior care strategy and implementation plan with broad input from Elders, families, communities, and partners
Expedite the construction of regional long-term care facilities with capabilities to meet the needs of Nunavummiut with complex care needs
Expand and/or renovate existing continuing care facilities
Provide culturally- and linguistically-relevant training for staff working in continuing care facilities
Enhance supports to improve daily life in continuing care facilities
Encourage community-based initiatives to provide Elders/seniors programming and supports for independent or assisted living
Enable Elders to access more country food

Actions that are already underway:
We will:

Complete the renovations and reopen the Iqaluit Elders Home to repatriate Elders;
Build the planned long-term care facility in Rankin Inlet; and
Accelerate the development of purpose-built housing units for Elders/seniors.

Expanding the housing continuum

We will invest in new construction methods and partnerships to increase the range of housing options available to Nunavummiut.

Strategic outcomes

Reduced homelessness
More family violence shelters, youth shelters, and transitional housing
At least 1,000 units of all types added to the stock of affordable housing and continuum of housing options
More Nunavummiut renting or purchasing their own homes
Increased employment of Inuit in local housing construction and maintenance
Enduring partnerships with Inuit organizations, the private sector, and other levels of government to expand the housing continuum

Actions to make progress towards these outcomes
We will:

Identify options for housing those without homes in collaboration with communities and partners in poverty reduction
Improve the process for allocating social housing units to Nunavummiut
Review and improve the delivery of Government of Nunavut staff housing
Prioritize actions to encourage residents to move from Government of Nunavut staff housing and social housing into affordable rental units or homes of their own
Improve and reinvest in home ownership assistance programs
Renovate or repurpose existing buildings for use in the housing continuum
Incentivize the use of Inuit labour in housing construction and maintenance
Prioritize projects and contracting methods that involve partners, support local businesses, add to community economies, and customize approaches in response to local capabilities and needs

Actions that are already underway:
We will:

Continue to add to the stock of affordable, multi-residential housing units with the support of federal funding partners to offset the costs of acquiring land, refurbishing buildings, and constructing the units; and
Expand trades training and apprenticeships for local housing construction and maintenance.

Enabling health and healing

Strategic outcomes

Inuit-specific mental health programs and services
More Inuktut-speaking counsellors
More Inuit employed in delivering healthcare, mental health, and addictions programs and services
Better health and mental health outcomes over time
Enduring partnerships with Inuit organizations, the non-profit sector, and other levels of government to improve health and mental health programs, services and outcomes for Nunavummiut

Actions to make progress towards these outcomes
We will:

Investigate and implement trauma-informed practices in healthcare and education
Encourage and support models of wellness and well-being that are grounded in Inuit identity
Expand education and training programs that provide Nunavummiut with the necessary qualifications for professional and paraprofessional work in healthcare, mental health, and addictions treatment
Expand opportunities, training, and formal recognition for Inuit to provide culturally- and linguistically-relevant mental health and well-being programs and services
Engage and recognize more Elders and other community members as advisors, local counsellors for Inuit, and in programming on the land
Promote and provide long-term core funding to support and expand effective models for community-led programs and services
Work with communities and partners to extend the hours that mental health services are available
Reinvest in suicide prevention and postvention programs with our partners, with an emphasis on those that address root causes such as child sexual abuse, trauma, bullying, and discrimination
Reinvigorate health and mental health promotions programs

Actions that are already underway:
We will:

Develop a long-term mental health and addictions strategy to guide and support phased implementation of the new Mental Health Act;
Build the planned trauma and addictions treatment centre in Iqaluit with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and federal funding partners;
Continue to expand the use of technology for virtual health care and virtual mental health support; and
Implement planned workplace wellness programs and supports for Government of Nunavut employees.

Reinvesting in education

We will invest in the supports that children and youth need to strengthen self-esteem, develop healthier relationships, gain education and employment, and build a meaningful future.

Strategic outcomes

Stronger childhood foundations for Inuit identity, resilience, and learning over time
Higher rates of attendance and school completion
Stronger academic achievements
Improved linkage between available jobs and post-secondary education and training in the territory
Higher rates of post-secondary education and employment following graduation
Enduring partnerships with Inuit organizations, education authorities, and other levels of government to encourage and support early learning, educational attainment, and career development

Actions to make progress towards these outcomes
We will:

Invest in high quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services with federal funding partners
Prepare a new plan to develop and transform Nunavut’s early learning and child care sector, with an emphasis on Inuit-centred early learning
Provide more financial, administrative, training, and Inuktut learning resources to support early learning
Begin a phased rollout of full-day kindergarten programs
Accelerate work on the K-12 Inuit language curriculum and Nunavut-specific learning resources
Incorporate more life skills and career counselling into the K-12 curriculum to foster self-reliance, self-esteem, and early career direction
Enhance and support school meal programs with community-based partners
Increase opportunities for pre-employment work experiences for high school and post-secondary students throughout the year
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of FANS and other direct financial aid for post-secondary learners
Enhance indirect supports for post-secondary learners
Prepare and implement a multi-year training strategy with Inuit organizations and other partners to enable development of Nunavut’s labour force and economy
Develop and implement a strategic plan for Inuit language training in the public service

Actions that are already underway:
We will:

Continue to strengthen the Inuktut language and education across Nunavut with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and federal funding partners;
Implement and expand initiatives to train, recruit and retain Inuit educators with a variety of qualifications;
Continue to implement improvements in the student-educator ratio; and
Implement continuing improvements to community learning centres and expand their use for community programming.

Diversifying our local economies

We will invest in sustainable local economies that, along with education and training, will provide more job opportunities and enrich our communities.
Strategic outcomes
More communities benefitting from the fishing, harvesting, and tourism sectors
More local jobs and small businesses
Increased manufacturing activity in Nunavut
Increased employment of Inuit in mining and mine-related services
Increased revenue to artists and craftspeople
Enduring partnerships with Inuit organizations, the private sector, and other levels of government in economic and labour market development

Actions to make progress towards these outcomes
We will:

Refresh strategic plans for sustainable economic development and diversification in all sectors
Increase training for employment in sectors such as mining, arts and crafts, tourism, and small business in partnership with Inuit organizations and the private sector
Identify and promote opportunities for new local businesses and services
Investigate the potential for alternative building technologies to be used and manufactured in Nunavut, with an emphasis on energy-efficient and climate-friendly construction
Repatriate fisheries licences and purchase more fishing quota
Enhance supports for harvesters
Create an online marketplace for Nunavut arts and crafts
Review and improve Government of Nunavut organizational structures to meet increasing demand for programs and services and to identify opportunities for further decentralization

Actions that are already underway:
We will:

Identify and help to address needs for critical infrastructure and transportation of goods with regional Inuit organizations, federal funding partners, and airlines to enable and support economic development in all sectors; and
Continue to prepare for devolution of responsibilities for Crown lands and resources.