Fire forces Puvirnituq, Que., to declare state of emergency as water shortage continues

Antoni Nerestant · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 10:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

As radical successful Puvirnituq, Que., proceed to conflict with a worsening h2o shortage, a occurrence has prompted the tiny colony successful Nunavik to state a authorities of emergency.

The fire, which began Saturday astatine astir 3 p.m., destroyed 2 lodging units successful the colony of 2,100 people.

No injuries were reported, but the constricted proviso of h2o successful the assemblage made it challenging for firefighters to enactment the occurrence out. The colony assembly declared a authorities of exigency connected Saturday evening.

Access to h2o has been constricted since a tube that connects the pump presumption to the attraction works froze successful mid-March.

In caller days, h2o shortages astatine the section wellness centre — the Inuulitsivik Health Centre — have led to immoderate patients being flown south for care, and Nunavik's main nationalist wellness serviceman has warned sicknesses similar gastroenteritis (stomach flu) could spread rapidly arsenic the h2o shortage impacts entree to sanitation.

Difficult upwind conditions, including slushy roads, person exacerbated the crisis.

WATCH | Friday's update connected infirmary patients being flown retired of Puvirnituq: 

According to Article 19 of the province's Act respecting civilian extortion to beforehand catastrophe resilience, a municipality tin state a authorities of exigency successful its territory for up to 10 days "when a disaster occurs oregon is imminent there, if the mean operating rules bash not marque it imaginable to instrumentality the contiguous actions required to support quality life, wellness oregon integrity and if, for that purpose, the section municipality considers that it indispensable edifice to the bonzer powers."

The authorities of exigency grants respective powers to Lucy Qalingo, Puvirnituq's mayor, including:

• Ordering evacuations erstwhile deemed necessary.
• Requiring the services of immoderate idiosyncratic susceptible of assisting the unit deployed.
• Requisitioning spot and materials deemed indispensable for rescue services. 
• More spending powers to assistance code the crisis.
• Renewing the authorities of exigency each 10 days arsenic agelong the conditions warrant it.

"I consciousness for our community," Qalingo wrote connected Facebook precocious Saturday night, referring to the fire. "I don't cognize what other to say."

'Please don't neglect us'

Earlier that day, hours earlier the occurrence started, the politician had besides taken to Facebook to accidental that "both governments should halt ignoring the precocious needs of everything successful Nunavik" and issued an urgent telephone for help, writing: "Please don't neglect us."

"If we don't spot changes from the effect of the situation we are going through, we are decidedly thing to them. What we are going done close present happens successful 3rd satellite countries," Qalingo wrote successful the Facebook post.

"We don't person to beg for water. We are besides Canadians. Forgotten Canadians."

In a connection Sunday afternoon, Mandy Gull-Masty, Canada's recently sworn-in Indigenous services minister, said "my bosom goes retired to the assemblage members successful Puvirnituq."

"I person reached retired to my provincial counterpart and assemblage enactment to marque definite they person what they request and reiterate my support," she said.

"At each levels of government, we person to enactment unneurotic to usage our tools and resources to marque definite communities person entree to indispensable services. We volition get done this together."

CBC News has reached retired to the bureau of Ian Lafrenière — Quebec's curate liable for relations with the First Nations and the Inuit.

Earlier this week, Lafrenière said helium had been successful interaction with the Kativik Regional Government and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) for the past 3 weeks and that his authorities was acceptable to supply assistance.

Two planes loaded with h2o near Montreal for Puvirnituq connected Friday morning. The province's ministry of nationalist information said 3 much h2o deliveries were scheduled implicit the weekend, though upwind conditions could impact those operations.

'There's nary plan'

Dr. Marie-Faye Galarneau, who's worked arsenic a household doc successful the portion for 5 years, resigned 2 weeks agone owed to the deteriorating health-care conditions there.

On Sunday, she said she's angered by the situation playing retired successful Puvirnituq, describing it arsenic "beyond comprehension."

"People are deprived of water and their toilets are afloat for 2 weeks to 1 period now, and there's nary plan, but sending bottles of water," Galarneau said.

In a connection to Radio-Canada, the Kativik Regional Government and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) said the authorities of exigency has nary "direct further impact" connected its operations. 

"The NRBHSS is afloat mobilized for civilian information co-ordination efforts and is providing enactment to the Inuulitsivik Health Centre," the connection reads.

CBC News has also contacted the Inuulitsivik Health Centre to get the latest fig of patients that person been flown south.

Based connected reporting by Radio-Canada's Félix Lebel, CBC's Samuel Wat, with files from Shuyee Lee and Rowan Kennedy