Inuit village in Quebec's Far North facing ‘severe' water distribution challenges
MONTREAL — Officials in Quebec's Nunavik region are raising the alarm over severe water distribution challenges in the Inuit community of Puvirnituq.
The Kativik Regional Government says the village's five-kilometre-long water pipeline froze during a blizzard in mid-March and has yet to thaw.
As a result, the town of roughly 2,100 people has been forced to bring in water by truck over long distances in extreme weather on icy roads.
Kativik says the water is loaded at a pumping station and disinfected manually with chlorine.
The regional government says water distribution in the region is affected by infrastructure limitations, truck volume, a lack of experienced technical staff and weather delays.
Kativik says it's hoping the weather will improve enough for interim repairs to take place in June and for normal operations to resume during the summer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
'Is your campfire worth risking somebody's life?' Firefighters urge people to stop breaking fire ban
Firefighters are urging people to stop lighting outdoor fires, as wildfires rage across Newfoundland and Labrador and the province remains under a fire ban. "I was surprised at how many people still decided to light a fire," said Duane Antle, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services. Outdoor fires have been banned since July 11. But departments are still getting multiple calls about backyard fires and other risky actions, Antle said — like flicking cigarette butts out car windows, or driving an ATV through tall grass. With everything so dry, he said, those behaviours can pose a real risk. On Monday, the City of St. John's said its fire department responded to 14 brush fires since Friday, six of which were backyard fires or campfires. "This is unacceptable and deeply concerning," said a city statement. With people losing their homes and evacuating, "I can't understand why someone would even take it in their head that [lighting a fire] would be OK to do," Antle said. People might think they're far away from the forest, he said, but sparks and debris can travel "a long ways and re-ignite another fire." Even on a rocky beach, there's always the danger of sparks travelling, he said. Plus, people are watching and might start thinking, "why can't I have a fire?" "That's when people start to maybe make unreasonable decisions." Fines of $1,000 If you're caught breaking the fire ban, you could be fined at least $1,000. Enforcement officers are doing regular patrols and are always available to respond to complaints, says the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. The fire ban applies to anywhere within 300 metres — or five hockey rinks — of land with trees of any size. That's not just forests, says the department, but also things like yards, parks, and paths. In his 30-year career, Antle says he's never seen anything like this wildfire season. Evacuations used to be so rare, he said, but this year it's "every couple of weeks." "It's scary," he said. For firefighters on the ground, it's a dangerous environment. Antle notes the fire ban does seem to be "sinking in" for people, and he's urging residents to report any illegal fires to local fire departments or police. The Forestry Department says people can report by calling 1-877-820-0999 or visiting
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Borden pool to open Tuesday after delay
Borden Natural Swimming Pool is expected to open today, weeks later than normal because of a leak found in June.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
More sun and warmer temperatures Wednesday
More sun and warmer temperatures Wednesday Fair weather extends through mid-week in the Maritimes with a higher chance of rain and showers for Friday.
