Water in Puvirnituq: The Gouvernement du Québec and Nunavik Authorities Take Action

QUÉBEC CITY, May 18, 2025 /CNW/ - The Gouvernement du Québec and Nunavik authorities are taking action in response to the very worrying situation in the Northern Village of Puvirnituq.

The main pipe between the Northern Village's primary water source and its treatment plant froze because of an equipment failure on March 18. Temporary solutions are currently being deployed to restore water to the plant. Preventive medical evacuations have also been conducted to ensure safety, mostly of Elders, as Northern Village teams work to fix the pipe. However, a fire broke out on the afternoon of May 17, causing the mayor to declare a state of emergency.

Last week, a crisis unit was set up to coordinate the actions being taken according to local authorities' priorities. Since Friday, over 54 tonnes of water have been airlifted into the village to meet Puvirnituq residents' immediate needs. More water will be shipped in over the next few days.

Once the situation is under control, the government will conduct a major post-mortem with all local authorities, with a view to shedding light on the events and to identifying solutions to prevent their recurrence. To maintain effective collaboration, The Gouvernement du Québec and the Makivvik Corporation recognize the importance of clearly establishing all players' roles and responsibilities.

Minister Lafrenière and Pita Aatami, president of the Makivvik Corporation, would like to thank all the teams who are working tirelessly to correct the situation as quickly as possible.

SOURCE Cabinet du ministre responsable des Relations avec les Premières Nations et les Inuit

Sources: Maxime Tardif, Press Attaché, Minister Responsible for Relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, Tel: [phone]; Carson Tagoona, Director of Communications, Makivvik Corporation, [email protected]; For more information: Media relations, Direction des communications, Ministère du Conseil exécutif, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]