Kuujjuaq, Québec, February 10, 2017 – Inuit leaders from Makivvik (Makivvik) and the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) have decided to chart a path for the future of Nunavik Minor Hockey following a Joint Executive meeting held to determine four hockey related funding applications to the Ungaluk Safer Communities Program (Ungaluk) on February 2, 2017.
Ungaluk supports initiatives preventing crime in the region. In 2014, Ungaluk was restructured to enhance the impact of the program as each project proposal undergoes an in-depth analysis and is scored based on crime prevention criteria, priority areas, and target groups. The Nunavik representatives of the Ungaluk Committee of Experts assist in the development of recommendations, which are then presented to the Joint Executives (Makivvik and KRG) for a final decision.
The Joint Executives took a unanimous decision to develop hockey at the community level in Nunavik, with more focus on regional hockey development instead of competitions in southern Quebec, and to ensure that greater number of youth have access to supported hockey for a longer period of time at the community level. This new approach is consistent with the findings of the evaluation of the Nunavik Youth Hockey Development Program (NYHDP) conducted by Goss Gilroy Inc. (GGI) – one of Canada’s leading program evaluation firms. The full report of the evaluation is available online at www.makivik.org/ungaluk-program.
Since 2007, the NYHDP has received on average $2.2 million per year from Ungaluk. This year the NYHDP requested just under $2.2-million. In light of exploring a new direction and following the findings of the evaluation, the Joint Executives decided to fund the majority of the NYHDP – just over $1.3-million to support local hockey development, the regional tournaments, and the component for the “Select Program” – but the Nordiks southern tournaments and tryouts ($875-thousand) will no longer be funded by Ungaluk, which will affect less than 20% of the players.
Going forward, the Joint Executives will rely on further input from community members and youth recreation experts regarding their ideas on what is needed for hockey in Nunavik. A regional group will be set up in order to make recommendations.
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Information:
Jean-Philippe Dubois
Communications Coordinator
Kativik Regional Government
Tel. 819-964-2961, ext. 2219
media@krg.ca
www.krg.ca
William Tagoona
Communications Coordinator and Media Relations
Makivvik
Tel. 819-964-2925
wtagoona@makivik.org
or Stephen Hendrie
Tel. 613 668-1923
hendrie@makivik.org
The KRG is a non-ethnic public organization created in 1978, under the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. The organization has jurisdiction over nearly the entire territory of Québec north of the 55th parallel in areas such as municipal matters, transportation, the environment, policing, employment, labour training, income security, childcare services, renewable resources, land-use planning, civil security and economic development.
Makivvik is the development corporation mandated to manage the heritage funds of the Inuit of Nunavik provided for under the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. Makivvik’s role includes the administration and investment of these funds and the promotion of economic growth by providing assistance for the creation of Inuit-operated businesses in Nunavik. Makivvik promotes the preservation of Inuit culture and language as well as the health, welfare, relief of poverty, and education of Inuit in the communities.