The community of Kugaaruk in Nunavut is receiving federal assistance as it copes with a state of emergency now in its third day. Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister responsible for emergency management, announced in a press release on Tuesday that she has given the green light to a request for aid from the Nunavut government. The assistance aims to facilitate the transportation, distribution, and pumping of drinking water.
According to Olszewski, the Government Operations Centre is collaborating with various federal and provincial partners, including the Canadian Armed Forces, to effectively manage the situation in Nunavut and deploy all essential federal resources.
The emergency was declared by the hamlet on Sunday following the intrusion of seawater into its water treatment plant. Michelle Byers, the senior administrative officer, explained to CBC News that abnormally high supermoon tides led to the seawater entering the plant, triggering an automatic shutdown as a safety measure.
In an update shared on social media, the hamlet disclosed that attempts to pump water from an alternate source were unsuccessful due to the severe cold. To combat this, crews have constructed a shelter around the pumps and are actively working to heat the location. Additionally, the water treatment plant is undergoing a flushing process to eliminate any salt before resuming operations.
The hamlet highlighted that it continues to receive assistance from territorial and federal collaborators, such as the Canadian Rangers, who are on standby to provide fresh water access for approximately five days once operations stabilize.
