Kuujjuaq, Quebec, June 13, 2024 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

The following information is in addition to the news release issued on June 13, 2024, on CED’s financial assistance, the recipient businesses and their respective projects.

Overview

• 5 projects supported by CED
• Nearly $1,750,000 in non‑repayable financial contributions from CED
• $4,118,747 in total investments generated
• 4 jobs created

Details

Makivvik Corporation

makivvik.ca

The Makivvik Corporation was created in 1975 under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) to manage the funds received by the Inuit under the JBNQA and to develop the Inuit economy and culture. It is a non-profit organization owned by the Inuit of Nunavik. Its primary mandate is to protect the integrity of the JBNQA and to influence the political, social and economic development of the Nunavik region. The current project aims to provide Makivvik with the economic resources needed to improve services to the region’s entrepreneurs and to design community economic development strategies and projects. CED’s contribution of $724,500 under the Quebec Economic Development Program will enable the recruitment of two economic development officers for a three-year period. 

Qiniqtiq Landholding Corporation of Kangiqsualujjuaq

nlhca.org/inuit-landholding-corporations

The Qiniqtiq Landholding Corporation of Kangiqsualujjuaq is an Inuit corporation established in 1979. The Corporation’s three-year project will create a liaison officer position to coordinate the identification of business opportunities for the economic development of Kangiqsualujjuaq. This contribution of $375,000, granted under the Quebec Economic Development Program, will enable the organization to create one full-time job and participate in the development of this village in eastern Nunavik.

Nursuti Inuit Business Development Hub

Established in 2023, the Nursuti Inuit Business Development Hub is a non-profit organization that aims to develop Inuit entrepreneurship and provide tools, knowledge, and networks to support Inuit businesses in Nunavik. Led by Inuit and local community leaders, the Hub has a mission to increase the percentage of Inuit-owned businesses and to foster Inuit business development. Based in Salluit, the organization was created to help the communities of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq. The three-year project aims to set up an organization that will develop entrepreneurship in Nunavik. CED’s contribution of $350,000 under the Quebec Economic Development Program will cover a portion of operating costs, salaries, and expenses related to services and activities. This project will create one job and contribute to the economic life and vitality of the Nunavik and Nord-du-Québec region by creating businesses and quality jobs.

Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec

leconsortium.coop/nos-membres/federation-des-cooperatives-du-nouveau-quebec

Founded in 1967, the Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec is a federation of cooperatives belonging to a group of 14 member cooperatives in Inuit communities along the coasts of Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay in Nunavik. The organization’s mission is to provide the fast-growing cooperative movement with the powers and services they need to achieve their goal–Atautsikut/Together–of working for the collective development of all. The project supported by CED aims to enhance the organization’s performance and improve its productivity through the acquisition of a more efficient and better-adapted digital system, namely an Enterprise Resource Planning software package. The $199,999 contribution awarded under the Quebec Economic Development Program will help consolidate existing jobs and contribute to the development of the region’s economic potential.

Avataa-Rouillier Drilling Inc.

avataa.ca

Avataa-Rouillier Drilling Inc. is an Indigenous-controlled company founded in 2016 and located in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. The company is the result of a partnership between Indigenous company Avataa Explorations and Logistics Inc. (51%) and Groupe Rouillier inc. (49%). The aim of this alliance is to combine the diamond drilling expertise of Groupe Rouillier inc. with the knowledge, interpersonal skills, and values of Inuit company Avataa Explorations and Logistics. The current project aims to improve the company’s productivity through the acquisition of an underground drilling rig, a trailer, and a drill pipe sled on wheels. CED’s contribution of $99,999 under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program will enable the company, which operates in a regionally strategic sector, to improve its productivity in order to pursue its growth and enhance its competitiveness.

Information

Media Relations
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
media@dec-ced.gc.ca