Indigenous Services Canada Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced $229 million in new funding to bolster tuberculosis prevention, food security, and child and family support in Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat. This investment addresses gaps left by the fall 2025 federal budget, yet northern leaders emphasize the need for structural changes rather than temporary financial boosts.
Inuit Child First Initiative Renewal
The funding renews the Inuit Child First Initiative with $115 million, providing a one-year extension to ensure timely access to essential services for Inuit children. Established in 2018, the program serves as an interim measure while a permanent Inuit-specific framework takes shape.
Minister Gull-Masty described the announcement as a stopgap solution during ongoing discussions for a sustainable model. “I want to be extremely respectful of what Inuit communities, organizations, and families are looking to achieve,” she stated.
Statistics Canada data reveals that more than three-quarters of Inuit children in Inuit Nunangat faced food insecurity in 2022. Recent program shifts require individual family applications and stricter criteria, leading to shorter approvals—often one month—or outright denials, compared to previous six-month or multi-year approvals.
Jeneca Fanjoy, operations director at Qupanuaq in Nunavut’s Qikiqtaaluk region, highlighted the reduced accessibility. “Many families used to see six-month approvals or multi-year hamlet-wide programs. Now the majority of families are seeing one-month approvals or denials,” she said. Fanjoy urges governments to increase funding for basic necessities and advocates for measures like universal basic income to enhance purchasing power.
Gull-Masty plans to unveil application changes soon to lower barriers. However, Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout criticized the delay. “While she’s taking her time learning about the possible changes, she’s doing it at the cost of keeping children in poverty,” Idlout remarked.
Federal records show 7,000 pending funding requests and nearly 12,000 nationwide applications in 2024 totaling $167 million, with two-thirds originating in the North. The fall 2025 budget imposed two percent cuts on Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
Nutrition North Subsidy Boost
The package allocates $30 million to the Nutrition North Canada subsidy program, currently under review by former Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk. Preliminary findings remain unreleased, prompting frustration from Idlout. “I’ve been telling them for years that Nutrition North is not working,” she said.
Tuberculosis Elimination Efforts
An additional $27 million over five years supports Inuit-led initiatives for tuberculosis prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment, building on a 2018 pledge to eradicate the disease in Inuit Nunangat by 2030. Prior investments of $44 million were due to expire soon.
Public Health Agency of Canada figures indicate tuberculosis rates among Inuit in 2023 exceeded the national average by over 37 times. Nunavik reports some of the world’s highest rates, including a record number of cases in 2025.
Following the announcement at the Kativik Regional Government meeting in Kuujjuaq, Chairperson Maggie Emudluk welcomed the support. “We have a very fragile population,” she said. “Tuberculosis should not exist in a country like Canada in this day and age.”
Gull-Masty noted complementary investments in nutrition and housing to combat the disease effectively.
