Press Release
March 31, 2020
ITK is calling for air transportation to be designated an essential service in Inuit Nunangat for the duration of the COVID-19 response. In winter and spring, airline travel routes are lifelines, the equivalent to roads and railways in southern Canada. They are the sole entry points for food, medicine and other essential supplies in all but two of 51 Inuit communities, and a critical means of travel for patients requiring advanced medical treatment.
The spread of COVID-19 across Canada has resulted in strict travel regulations, which have in turn decreased flights in and out of communities. Major airlines operating in Inuit Nunangat have pledged a minimum level of passenger and cargo service, at increasing financial loss. With declining revenues, this will become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to maintain.
Emergency support for airlines operating in Inuit Nunangat is necessary to guarantee the ongoing supply of essential goods, as well as timely access to medical care, including in relation to COVID-19. The remote location of Inuit communities means that Inuit must travel by air to access most medical treatment, either in larger centres across Inuit Nunangat or referral centres in southern Canada.
Designation of air transport as an essential service would position these activities as public services that must continue. It would allow federal funds to be allocated for the provision of such services, as they are for other federally regulated services to which all Canadians have a right to access no matter where they live.
“Air travel routes in Inuit Nunangat are equivalent to the TransCanada Highway in Southern Canada. They are vital links connecting remote regions of the country to each other and to more populous centres. Our airlines are called on for the transport of medical patients and for delivery of COVID-19 swabs, and form a critical backbone to our healthcare system. Any delays in this system due to significantly reduced flight schedules poses a significant risk to Inuit health and wellbeing,” said Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
Inuit Tapiriikkut Kanatami Aaqqiisimaliqujillutik Tiliurivut Qangatasuukkut Ingirraqattarniarniminnik Nalunaiqsisimaliqujillutik Inuit Nunanganni Kikkutuinnanut Pijitsiraqtiuniarnirminnut Puvvirinnaqtualuk Nuvagjuarnirmik (COVID-19) Qanimanaqaliqsimatillugu
March 31, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario
Inuit Tapiriikkut Kanatami tiliurivut qangatasuukkut ingirraqattarniujut nalunaiqtausimaliqullugit taimaujariaqallariksutik pijitsiraqtiuniarninginnut Inuit Nunanganni Puvvirinnaqtualuk Nuvagjuarnirmik Qanimanaqaliqsimaninganut kiujjutiuniarluni. Ukiungutillugu ammalu upirngaangutillugu, qangatasuut qangatavannirminni tikippaktangit annaumajjutiksanik naksaqtigijauvammata, ajirlagijangatitut aqqutigijauvattunut ammalu nunasiutirjuatigut ingirravvigijauvaktutitut Canada-mi qallunaat nunangannirmiunit. Atausituangullutik usijigijauvammata niqigijaujuksanik, aanniaqsiurtinit iłuaqsautiksanik ammalu asinginik piqutigijauvagiaqaqpaktunik tamainni marruuk piqasiutinngitatuarillugit 51-ni Inuit nunaligijanginnut, ammalu tagvaksatuuvaksutik Inuit aanniaqsiuqtinit iłuaqsaqtaujaqturlutik ingirrajariaqaliraangata.
Canada-limaami nunaligijaujuluktaanut siammakpallianingata Puvvirinnaqtualuk Nuvagjuarnamik (COVID-19) Qanimanaqaliqsimaniup siammakpallianinga pitjutigillugu ingirrajunnarniujut kigliqaliqtitausimallutik maligaqutitaqalirutiummat, taimalu amisuunnginniqsauvaliqsutik qangatasuut tikiqattarunnarningit ammalu aullaqattarunnarningit nunaliujunut. Angijuutiullutik qangatasuulirijit aulatsijunnarningit Inuit Nunanganni nalunaiqsisimalilaurmata amisuunnginniqpaangutittilutik ikimajunnaqtittinialirnirminnut ammalu usijauvaktunut pijitsirarutigivaktaminnik, amisuruqpallialiqsutik kiinaujatigut asiujisimalirningit. Kiinaujait utiqtuksat mikiglivallialirningita, tamanna piliriniuvaktuq ajurnaqsivallianiarmat, ajurnallattaalirniarninngikkuni, aulataujunnatsiarningani.
Tuaviurnaqtutigut ikajurunnaqpanningit qangatasuulirijiit aulatsiniqaqtut Inuit Nnunanganni taimaujariaqallaringmata nalunaiqtausimalirajarningit piqutigijaujariaqaqtut tikititaujunnaqpanniarmata, ilaqaqtillugit kinguvaqtitaunngillutik aanniarvinnut ingirrajariaqaqpanniujut, piqasiutijausimalutik turaangatillugit Puvvirinnaqtualuk Nnuvagjuarnamik (COVID-19) Qanimanaqaliqsimajunut. Inuit nunalingita ungasiktumiunguningit pijjutigillugit tukiqainnaqpammat Inuit qangatasuutigut kisiani ingirrajunnaqpanningita aanniaqsiurtilirijinit iłuaqsartauniarluni, anginiqsaullutik aanniarviqarviujunut Inuit Nunanganni uvvaluunniit aanniarviqarviujunut qallunaat nunanganni Canada-mi.
Nalunaiqtausimalirningit qangatasuukkut ingirraqattarunnarniit taimaujariaqallariksutik pijitsirarutiksani iniqaliqtitausimanajarmata tamakkua piliriniuvaktut ilagijauningita kikkutuinnanut pijitsirarutiuvaktunut kajusititausimajariaqaqtuni. Nalunaiqtausimalirningitigut gavamatuqakkut kiinaujaqutiksaqaqtittininginik sanirvaisimalirunnaqtitsinajarmata pitaqaqtitsitjutiuniarlutik taimannaittunut pijitsirarutiksaujunut, pitjutigillugu taimannaippammata gavamatuqakkunnit aulataullutik pijitsirarutiksauvaktuni tamainnit Canada-miunit pijunnautiqarviullutik pititauvagiaqarnirnut nanirmiutaugaluaqpataluunniit.
“Qangatasuut qangatavannirminni tikippaktangit ajirlagingmagit aqqutirjuarijauvattunut ammalu nunasiutirjuatigut ingirravvigijauvaktutitut Canada-mi qallunaat nunangannirmiunit. Taimaujariaqallariktuullutik attataqsimalirviuvammata inuuqatigiiktunut ammalu inugiangniqsaullutik nunaligijaujuniittunut ungasiktunirmiungullutik aviktuqsimaniujunut Canada-mi. Qangatasuuqutigijavut apirijausimaliqpammata akjaqsijiuqujaullutik aanniarviliariaqaqtunut ammalu akjaqsijiuqujaullutik Puvvirinnaqtulualuk Nuvagjuarnamik (COVID-19) Qanimaniqaliqsimajarianginnut qaujisarutiksanut, ammalu taimaujariaqallariktik tunngavviliurutiuniarlutik aanniaqarnanngittulirinirmi pilirijiqarutigijattinnut. Qanutuinnaq kinguvaqtitausimalirajaqpata tamakkua pilirijjutiuvaktut pijjutigisimallugit nalunaimmariktumik qangatasuut tikitsunnaqpanninginni nalunailuammariktumik attanaqtumiiliqtitsijunnarmata Inuit aanniaqaliqtailimavanninginnut ammalu qanuinngittiaqtitaujunnarninginnut,” uqaqsuni Natan Obed, Angijuqqaarijaujuq Inuit Tapiriikkunnut Kanatami.
