Uncategorized Defence Week Military
Canadian Rangers being deployed as Puvirnituq’s water crisis continues

The Canadian Rangers are being deployed to help Puvirnituq through the water crisis that has plagued the community for the past nine weeks.

Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of emergency management and community resilience, posted Tuesday on X that she has approved a request from the Quebec government and the Canadian Armed Forces will send in the Rangers to assist with the distribution of drinking water and technical support.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence did not respond Wednesday to a request for a timeline as to when the Rangers will arrive.

Since issuing a boil-water advisory on March 18, Puvirnituq has been receiving help from other communities and the provincial and federal governments while a temporary solution is put in place to connect the community’s water pump to its treatment plant.

The five-kilometre pipeline that made that connection broke down after it froze back in March. A replacement pipe must be shipped in from England, said Puvirnituq Mayor Lucy Qalingo.

The broken pipeline started the domino effect — which includes some water trucks being out of commission awaiting repairs, and winter weather that hampered the remaining trucks hauling untreated water to the village — that led to the village being in this crisis.

Since May 16, the Government of Quebec has been flying in drinking water and hygiene supplies twice a day. So far, 60,000 litres of drinking water has been flown in.

Ian Lafrenière, the province’s minister responsible for Indigenous relations, said in a French phone interview that Junior Rangers are already in Puvirnituq helping out.

Ian Lafrenière, Quebec’s minister responsible for Indigenous relations, is handling the government’s response to the Puvirnituq water crisis. (File photo by Cedric Gallant)

When the Canadian Rangers come, he said, “their role will be to distribute water, help with logistics and [provide] a temporary pipeline. But I cannot say at what time a Hercules plane will land in Puvirnituq” bringing in the Rangers.

On Saturday, a state of emergency in the community was declared by the Kativik Regional Government after two houses in Puvirnituq burned down while firefighters had limited access to water.

Inuulitsivik Health Centre patients and residents from the Sailivik long-term elders facility have been relocated to partner hospitals in Montreal during the water crisis.

Lafrenière said he is aware that water supply problems happen almost yearly in Nunavik.

He said the melting permafrost makes it difficult for pipelines to be installed.

“We will find solutions for Nunavik,” he said.

He plans to meet with the Kativik Regional Government and Makivvik after the situation in Puvirnituq is stabilized.

“I am not saying it’s perfect, but I don’t think the problem is money,” he said. “There are possible logistical issues that also need to be addressed.”

He also wants to improve communication between the Quebec government and Nunavik communities. “We need people to feel comfortable, not be embarrassed, to ask for help,” he said.