Nunavik village lifts state of emergency as water shortage stabilizes

By Canadian Press on June 6, 2025.

MONTREAL — A village in Quebec’s Far North has lifted a state of emergency triggered by a months-long water shortage.

The Kativik Regional Government says the water is flowing once again into Puvirnituq after crews installed a bypass to temporarily replace a frozen water main.

The Inuit village declared the state of emergency on May 17 after a fire damaged two homes.

Its 2,100 residents had been without consistent water deliveries after the water main froze in a blizzard in mid-March.

The regional government said the shortage created a public health risk for residents and the local hospital, which struggled to maintain hygiene and sanitation.

It says workers will carry out permanent repairs on the main pipe this summer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press