The Government of Nunavut issued a Sept. 18 news release saying the Aqqusariaq recovery centre in Iqaluit was approaching substantial completion after nearly three years of construction. The 24-bed facility is intended to provide inpatient addictions and trauma recovery services for Nunavummiut, including counselling, on-the-land programming and aftercare. The release described the update as a construction and operational-preparation milestone, not an opening announcement. ᓇᑭᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ↗

Aqqusariaq is intended to bring addictions and trauma recovery services closer to home for people across Nunavut. The release says the facility will use an Inuit-led operating model and connect with the wider territorial health system. Indigenous Services Canada has an ongoing $9.7-million annual commitment toward operations, according to the GN. ᓇᑭᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ↗

The GN says it is finalizing a funding agreement with a new Inuit-led not-for-profit created by Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. That organization is expected to operate the facility while the GN funds services. The Sept. 18 release said substantial completion was expected in the coming weeks, but it did not give a date for completion, service intake or opening. As of Oct. 7, Atiilu News Desk found no newer GN newsroom update confirming that the centre has opened.

The facility is in Iqaluit and has 24 beds. The GN says remaining construction work included interior spaces, landscaping and exterior finishes. The project was guided by the Culture and Lived Experience Advisory Committee and is intended to centre Inuit knowledge, language, food, culture and community. This is a progress update; it does not confirm that programs are operating or that residents can yet access beds. ᓇᑭᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ↗