CHESTERFIELD INLET, Nunavut – Following the tragic deaths of two young residents at the Naja Isabelle group home in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, multiple investigations, including one by the RCMP, are currently underway. The care home, operated by Pimakslirvik Corporation, under contract with Nunavut’s Department of Family Services, caters to children and adults under 40 with specialized medical needs from across Nunavut.
Minister of family services, Margaret Nakashuk, stated that three people were hospitalized due to “critical incidents” at the care home, resulting in the deaths of two residents. The Nunavut coroner’s office confirmed the deaths of a 12-year-old in January and a 19-year-old in October 2023, outside the territory. As a result, the Nunavut Coroner Service is conducting investigations into the deaths as well as the circumstances surrounding the death that occurred outside of Nunavut Jurisdiction.
In response to these incidents, the territorial officials are working to relocate the remaining patients out of the Naja Isabelle home, with the Department of Family Services hiring an outside team to conduct a comprehensive investigation. The CEO of Pimakslirvik Corporation, Marc Ippiak, expressed surprise at the minister’s statements and highlighted the lack of opportunity to review the investigation findings to determine the justification for the minister’s remarks.
The RCMP is assisting with the investigation at the request of the territorial government, with an outside legal team investigating the quality of care provided at the facility, as mentioned by Nakashuk. Additionally, Jane Bates, the Nunavut Representative for Children and Youth, affirmed that the Department of Family Services has shown improvement in incident reporting after ongoing issues with the reporting of critical injuries and deaths in government care.
Overall, the circumstances surrounding the incident at the Naja Isabelle group home have raised significant concerns, prompting the involvement of multiple agencies, including law enforcement and government watchdog organizations, to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.