GN services during the holiday closure

All Government of Nunavut (GN) offices will be closed from 5 p.m. on December 21, 2023, to 8:30 a.m. on January 2, 2024, except for designated facilities that must stay open. Those facilities are:

Health
Iqaluit Health Services

• The Qikiqtani General Hospital (QGH) will remain open with full inpatient, pharmacy, and emergency services.
• The following Iqaluit Health Services will be open at a reduced capacity:
  • Ambulatory Care Clinics (QGH Clinics and Family Practice)
  • Rehabilitation Services
  • Iqaluit Case Management
  • Public Health Services
  • Home and Community Care Services
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Health Records
  • Environmental Services
  • Biomedical Services
  • Materials Management
  • Central Sterilizing and Reprocessing
  • Surgical Services for emergencies only (no scheduled surgeries)
  • Laboratory services

Qikiqtani, Kivalliq and Kitikmeot Region Health Services

• Community health centres will operate with emergency services during the holiday closure period with 24/7 on-call services for emergency care and triage for all necessary care. There will be no disruption to urgent and necessary care.
• Health centre staff are deemed essential and thus will work during the holiday closure dates, as scheduled by their supervisor.
• Continuing Care Centres and Elders’ facilities will be fully operational during the holiday closure period.
• Postponed services:
  • Routine clinics such as chronic disease management, well-child immunizations, and well-woman/well-man clinics.
• The following core services at community health centres will be maintained:
  • Prenatal clinics for high-risk clients.
  • Urgent and emergency appointments.
  • Medical travel services.
  • Community members are advised to call ahead before visiting the health centre.

Public Health

• Public Health Nurses, Regional Communicable Disease Coordinators, TB Coordinators, and support staff will work at reduced capacity.
  • TB programs and TB care delivery will function at full capacity.

Lab and Diagnostic Imaging

• Kitikmeot laboratory and diagnostic imaging services remain open for emergent, urgent, and necessary testing requirements only. Routine collection and testing of lab work will be suspended during this period.
• Kivalliq and Qikiqtaaluk laboratory and diagnostic imaging services remain fully operational during the holiday closure.

Mental Health and Addictions

• Mental Health Nurses and consultants will function at full capacity.
• Mental Health and Addictions paraprofessional staff will be off but available to be called in at the discretion of the mental health nurse.

Medical Travel, Duty Travel and Boarding Homes

• Baffin Medical Travel: 866-371-3305
• Kivalliq Medical Travel: 844-886-8020
• Kitikmeot Medical Travel: 844-886-8010
• Health Duty Travel: 844-975-5971
• Boarding homes will operate at full capacity:
  • Churchill – Iglualuk Boarding Home.
  • Edmonton – Larga House.
  • Ottawa – Larga House Baffin.
  • Winnipeg – Kivalliq Inuit Centre.
  • Yellowknife – Larga Kitikmeot Boarding Home.
  • Iqaluit - Tammaativvik Boarding Home.

Family Services

• Family Services Offices will have on-call services available as follows:

Community and Government Services

Community and Government Services emergency personnel are available during the holiday closure.

• The Nunavut Fire Marshal’s Office can be reached at 1-833-966-2280.
• The Chief Electrical Inspector, Chief Building Official, Chief Boiler and Gas Inspector, and Chief Elevator Inspector can be reached at 867-222-1214.
• The Emergency Management Office:
  • Emergency Measures 24-hour toll-free: 1-800-693-1666
  • Emergency Services Response 24 hours: 1-867-979-6262
• Facilities Management inspects GN facilities daily as per weekend/holiday procedure. Please contact your local emergency number as needed for maintenance issues.

Culture and Heritage

The Iqaluit Centennial Public Library will be closed from December 22, 2023 until January 5, 2024 and will reopen on January 8, 2024.

Education

The Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students office is on-call for travel emergencies at 867-857-6950.

Finance

• The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Board (NLCB) will be closed between December 22, 2023, and January 1, 2024. Requests for Special Occasion Permits (SOPs) and Change of Hours for this period should be submitted by Monday, December 18.
• The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission (NULC) will continue to sell low-alcohol content products (beer, wine, cider, coolers) through the Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet NULC stores during the holiday closures, with reduced hours.

• Liquor import permits and community orders will not be processed from December 22, 2023, to January 1, 2024. Customers who are planning to import liquor during this time are encouraged to purchase a permit before December 22, 2023, from one of the following locations:
  • Iqaluit NULC Store: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Tuesday to Friday
  • Rankin Inlet office: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
  • By phone: 1-855-844-5488, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday to Friday
  • By email: @email

Human Resources

• The Employee and Family Assistance Program will be available over the holiday season. Employees and their families can call the toll-free number.
  • 1-800-663-1142 for personal counselling in all of Nunavut’s official languages or visit https://homewoodhealth.com.
• During the GN holiday closure, @email will be monitored for both emergencies and non-emergencies.

Justice

• Legal Registries will remain open during the holiday closure period, except for the following days: December 25, 26, and January 1.
• All correctional facilities will remain open:
  • Aaqqigiarvik Correctional Healing Facility.
  • Rankin Inlet Healing Facility.
  • Kugluktuk Ilavut Centre.
  • Uttaqivik Community Residential Centre.
  • Nunavut Women’s Correctional Centre.
  • Isumaqsunngittukkuvik Youth Facility.

• All Community Corrections offices will be closed, but there will be an on-call officer available 24/7 during that time for Conditional Sentence Order breaches only:
  • December 21 to 26, contact 867-975-1616
  • December 26 to 30, contact 867-391-0130
  • December 30 to January 2, contact 867-645-6779
• Community Justice Offices will be closed but Emergency Protection Orders are available by calling 1-844-534-1038 or by calling the local RCMP detachment for assistance.
• The Nunavut Court of Justice will be closed, but standard necessary arrangements will be made to ensure bail hearings and Emergency Protection Orders are adjudicated without delay.
• The Office of Public Guardian and Trustee will be closed. For Public Guardian emergencies only, contact 867-222-1805.

Environment

• Emergency spill response is available 24 hours a day at 867-920-8130.
• Emergency wildlife response is available 24 hours a day at 867-975-7780.
• The Iqaluit Area Office is the contact point for all regions 867-975-7780.

Economic Development and Transportation

• All airports within Nunavut will remain open for regular published hours.
• The Nunavut Airports division will be open for emergencies only.
• For emergency issuance of Identification and/or Driver’s License, please contact the Motor Vehicle’s division at @email.

Qulliq Energy Corporation

• Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Customer Care and employee offices will be closed from December 22 to January 1. Essential service staff will continue delivering a safe and reliable power supply to Nunavummiut over the holiday season.
• QEC’s Emergency Line is available 24 hours a day and customers can report power-related issues to 1-833-313-3030.

Nunavut Housing Corporation

• Emergency contact number for Iqaluit staff housing: 867-222-1304. Do not send text messages.

Nunavut Arctic College

The following NAC buildings will be closed beginning on December 15, 2023:

• Kivalliq Hall residence

The following NAC buildings will be closed beginning on December 22, 2023:

• Kivalliq Hall offices
• Kivalliq Campus including Sanatuliqsarvik Trades Training Centre
• Kitikmeot Campus – Cambridge Bay
• Nunatta Campus – Iqaluit
• Nunavut Research Institute
• Piqqusilirivvik

The following NAC buildings will re-open on January 2, 2024:

• Kivalliq Hall, offices and residence
• Kivalliq Campus including Sanatuliqsarvik Trades Training Centre
• Kitikmeot Campus – Cambridge Bay
• Nunatta Campus – Iqaluit
• Nunavut Research Institute
• Piqqusilirivvik

The following NAC Buildings will remain open (for students) during the closure:

• Family Housing Units and Single Student Residences - Cambridge Bay.
• Family Housing Units - Rankin Inlet.
• Family Housing Units and Student Residence – Iqaluit.

More contact information can be found at: www.gov.nu.ca.

All GN offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, for regular business. Happy Holidays!