28 March 2022
News Release
GN services impacted by fire in Gjoa Haven
Iqaluit, Nunavut (March 28, 2022) – Today, Minister of Community and Government Services David Joanasie responds to the loss of the NCC building due to a fire on March 26, 2022, which housed several Government of Nunavut (GN) services in Gjoa Haven.
“Over the weekend, a fire in Gjoa Haven destroyed a government building and its contents,” said Minister Joanasie. “The NCC building was a telecommunications hub within the community and served as an office space for employees of several GN departments. I want to extend my thanks to all staff who are working diligently on restoring essential services to the community and to all those impacted, for their continued flexibility during this challenging time.”
As part of the GN’s response plan, the assessment of all internal and external impacts of this loss is underway. Staff and resources will be deployed in the following days to Gjoa Haven to help re-establish essential services in the community. Work-from-home measures will be implemented for affected GN staff where possible.
The NCC building served as the Government of Nunavut’s (GN) primary telecommunications hub for the community, housing the main fibre connection, workstations, community data centre, servers, and hosting services for the community such as telephone and video conferencing.
Further updates on the impact of GN services in the community will be made public when available. For a list of the current impacts on services in Gjoa Haven, please visit www.gov.nu.ca.
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Media Contacts:
Sierra LeBlanc
A/Director, Communications
Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs
867-975-6004
sleblanc@gov.nu.ca
Suleikha Duale
Communication Specialist
Department of Community and Government Services
867-975-5406
sduale1@gov.nu.ca
GN Services Update, Gjoa Haven
March 28, 2022
Department of Health update:
- The community’s Continuing Care Centre remains unaffected.
- The Community Health Centre will operate with some service reductions due to landlines, fax machines and digital services such as Meditech being unavailable.
- Staff will continue to provide services and respond to community needs using cellphones and paper charts.
- Medical appointments, vaccinations and clinics continue without disruption.
- Diagnostic imaging continues, but there may be a delay in physician review until digital services are restored.
- The Department of Health is sending laptops and data sticks to reconnect staff to Meditech and other digital services.
Department of Education update:
- Both the Quqshuun Ilihakvik school and the Qiqirtaq High School will operate with little to no changes in operations.
- Devices previously distributed to Gjoa Haven school staff for use during COVID-19 lockdowns will be available for staff to access GN email and the Student Information System.
- Telephones, paging networks and CCTV systems remain functional and unaffected at both schools.
- As a precaution, the Department of Education is partnering with the District Education Authority to set up a temporary fire watch for both schools, beginning on Monday at 5 p.m.
Department of Justice update:
- Most Legal Services Board operations are anticipated to continue without disruption. Delays may be expected for some services, including financial processing, legal aid application, and legal aid approval processes.
- The Community Correctional Officer in Gjoa Haven will continue with remote client check-ins until an established meeting area has been allocated. There will be no impact to clients on probation.
- Legal Aid is committed to ensuring ongoing, efficient, and effective access to Department of Justice services for Nunavummiut.
Department of Economic Development and Transportation update:
- In-person Motor Vehicles services in Gjoa Haven are suspended at this time, including issuing of Drivers Licenses and general identification cards, and driver examinations.
- Residents of Gjoa Haven can visit www.gov.nu.ca/motorvehicles or email MotorVehicles@gov.nu.ca to access the following services:
- Driver’s Licence Renewals.
- General Identification Card Renewals.
- Vehicle Registration Renewals.
- Requests for Driver’s Abstracts, Vehicle Searches, and Accident Reports.
Department of Family Services update:
- To access the Family Wellness division in Gjoa Haven, please call:
- 867-222-3906 to connect with a social worker on-call in Gjoa Haven.
- 1-844-392-4453 to connect with the territory-wide contact.
- To contact an Income Assistance Worker (IAW) in Gjoa Haven, please call:
- 867-202-4194 to connect with an IAW on-call.
- 1-800-661-0845 to connect with the regional office.
- Beginning in April, income assistance will return to regular assessments. Clients can come to the Income Support Office to speak to an IAW and complete the necessary documents. Payments will be issued remotely from the regional office and will be available direct-to-store.