Government of Nunavut services during the holiday closure

Public Service Announcement

Government of Nunavut services during the holiday closure

All Government of Nunavut (GN) offices will be closed from 5 p.m. on December 22, 2022, to 8:30 a.m. on January 3, 2023, 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 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.
  • Operating Room.
  • Health Records.
  • Environmental Services.
  • Biomedical Services.
  • Materials Management.
  • Central Sterilizing and Reprocessing.
  • Surgical Services for emergencies only (no scheduled surgeries).
  • Laboratory Services for emergencies only (no outpatient bloodwork).

Qikiqtani, Kivalliq and Kitikmeot Region Health Services

• Community health centres will operate with reduced 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.
• All nursing staff, clerk interpreters, caretakers, medical travel clerks, Community Health Representatives, housekeepers, and security guards are deemed essential and thus will work during the holiday closure dates, as scheduled by their supervisor.
• 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 emergent 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.
  • COVID-19 pandemic response will function at full capacity. Community members are asked to call the Hotline at 1-800-975-8601 for inquiries related to COVID19 or if they have symptoms of COVID-19 to schedule testing.

          Lab and Diagnostic Imaging

• Laboratory and diagnostic imaging services remain open.

          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 and Boarding Homes

• The Medical Travel Office is open
• 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.

Community and Government Services

The following Community and Government Services divisions are available on an emergency basis:

• Safety Services Division (Nunavut Fire Marshal’s Office, Chief Electrical Inspector, Chief Building Inspector and Chief Boiler Inspector).
  • Toll Free:
  • Business Line: 1-844-975-5493.
  • Emergency Line: 1-833-966-2280.
• Emergency Management Office.
  • Emergency Measures 24-hour Toll Free: 1-800-693-1666.
  • Emergency Services Response 24 Hours: 1-867-979-6262.

• Facilities Management Division
  • Maintenance on GN buildings will be at a reduced capacity. Maintenance crews will remain available for any emergency situations. During this period, all GN facilities will be physically checked on a daily basis, as per regular weekend and holiday procedures. If you are working in a GN facility over the holidays and have a maintenance issue, please call the normal emergency numbers.

Education

• Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS) office is on call for travel emergencies at 867-857-6950.

Finance

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 23, 2022, to January 2, 2023. Customers who are planning to import liquor during this time are encouraged to purchase a permit before December 23, 2022, from one of the following locations:

Iqaluit NULC store

In person:
Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m. EST.
Tuesday to Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. EST.
By phone: 867-975-6869.
By email: @email.

Rankin Inlet NULC office (Siniktarvik Building)

In person:
Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST.
By phone: Call 855-844-5488.
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 GN’s closure period, except for the following days: December 26, 27, and January 2.
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.
• 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 as 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.

Qulliq Energy Corporation

• Qulliq Energy Corporation’s Customer Care and employee offices will be closed December 23 to January 2. Essential service staff will continue delivering a safe and reliable power supply to Nunavummiut over the holiday season.

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 23:

• Kitikmeot Campus – Cambridge Bay.
• Kivalliq Hall Offices – Rankin Inlet*.
• *Single unit student residences in Kivalliq Hall will close on December 16, 2022 and reopen January 3, 2023.
• Sanatuliqsarvik, Trades Training Centre – Rankin Inlet.
• Nunatta Main Campus – Iqaluit.
• Nunavut Research Institute.

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 (Old Nova Building) – Iqaluit.

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

All GN offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, for regular business.

Happy Holidays!

###

Media Contact:

Peterkin Chakonza
Director Policy, Planning and Communications
Department of Human Resources
867-975-6226
@email