Minister Olszewski approves emergency assistance to Inuit community in northern Quebec

Statement

May 21, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, issued the following statement:

“A series of blizzards and structural fires left the Inuit community of Puvirnituq, in

northern Quebec, without access to drinking water.

On May 20, in my role as Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, I approved a Request for Federal Assistance from the Government of Quebec, on behalf of the Kativik Regional Government, to support their efforts to distribute drinking water or other priority resources and provide logistical support to help the community manage the current situation. To this end, the Government Operations Centre is working with federal and provincial partners, including the Canadian Armed Forces, to coordinate the response to the situation in northern Quebec and mobilize all necessary federal resources.

On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express my sympathies to all of those affected by this difficult situation and thank all of those already working tirelessly to help resolve it. The Government of Canada will always be there to help in times of need.”