Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Minister of Northern Affairs, the Honourable Daniel Vandal’s recent visit to Iqaluit.
On April 12 and 13 I had the opportunity to meet with Minister Vandal as he travelled to Iqaluit to discuss Budget 2022 investments in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, during his Iqaluit visit, Minister Vandal and I toured one of the recently constructed Government of Nunavut social housing units. The unit was an accessible home made to accommodate an individual with mobility issues, such as an Elder. That unit is one of over 100 newly constructed homes in Nunavut, built in partnership with the Federal Government.
Following the housing tour, we attended a media event which included Aluki Kotierk, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and Kenny Bell, the Mayor of Iqaluit. That event was an affirmation that we need to work across all levels of
government, and in partnership with Inuit Organizations, to achieve our mandate of building 1,000 new homes in Nunavut.
During this visit Minister Vandal affirmed his commitment to continue to work with Nunavut to address our housing shortfall by assisting us in identifying other opportunities for collaboration.
Mr. Speaker, I am eager to continue the dialogue with our counterparts in the Federal Government, Inuit Organizations, and municipalities to minimize Nunavut’s housing gap.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.