The Department of Health announced Sept. 18 that interior work, landscaping and exterior finishes at Aqqusariaq are nearing completion. The Iqaluit facility is intended to provide inpatient addictions and trauma recovery services for Nunavummiut, including counselling, on-the-land programming and aftercare.

The centre is intended to add 24 in-territory treatment beds and bring some addictions and trauma recovery services closer to home. Its move from construction toward operations is significant, but people seeking care still do not have public information on when services will begin or how to access them.

The government says substantial completion is expected in the coming weeks. The Department of Health must finish its funding agreement with the NTI-established not-for-profit, which is to operate the centre. Public confirmation is still needed on the opening date, staffing, service rollout, eligibility, referrals and intake procedures.

The Government of Nunavut says it will fund service delivery, while the new Inuit-led not-for-profit will operate the facility. Indigenous Services Canada has an ongoing annual commitment of $9.7 million toward operations. A 2023 joint release said Canada committed $42.1 million and Nunavut $41.6 million for design and construction, while NTI committed $5 million toward the project and $11.8 million through Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corporation for Inuit counsellor training. NTI publicly approved the independent not-for-profit governance structure in August 2025. Source↗ Source↗