Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter
The City of Dorval implemented measures to secure the transit corridor of the Ullivik residence following the death of two Inuuk women, Jane Tulugak and Nellie Niviaxie, who lost their lives in tragic circumstances as they were walking from the residence to Dorval’s commercial and transport hubs in 2022. Dorval Mayor Marc Doret fulfilled his promise that he would do whatever would be necessary to avoid another tragedy of the sort.
New pedestrian crossings have been installed along the transit corridor that was defined in cooperation with the implicated partners, and new directional signs were introduced in three languages (French, English, and Inuktitut).
These newly implemented measures were initiated by the City of Dorval in collaboration with the Montreal Police department (SPVM) and the Ministère des Transport du Québec (MTQ). “The changes initiated by the City of Dorval have been instrumental in developing pedestrian routes which allow our Ullivik residents to access transport hubs. It has transformed the way our residents move, granting them confidence and convenience bringing the Inuktitut language into the very fabric of our streets,” Ullivik residence Director Rita Noralinga stated.
City officials and officers from station 5 (Dorval) of the SPVM walked the walk along the new pathway following the announcement. “We will continue to participate in any projects that are undergoing to ensure the safety of the Inuit community and all of the Dorval community,” Station 5 officer Lisa-Marie Bridges, accompanied by station 5 Division Chief Francois Charron, told The Suburban.
“In August 2022, I made a commitment with our Director General to find a way to provide a safe and secure environment for those staying at the Ullivik residence to move back and forth between Ullivik, the Dorval EXO-STM terminal, and the commercial hub on Dorval Avenue. We decided that solutions needed to be found, not just discussed, and we acted without waiting for higher levels of government or ministries. We did this at the local level to ensure the safety of all members of our community and to prevent any more fatal accidents like the ones that took the lives of Mary-Jane and Nellie,” Doret said.
“For us, it was paramount that, as an administration and based on the wishes of the municipal council, we take the necessary actions to make sure that such tragedies do not happen again. I am proud of the various City of Dorval teams that worked closely alongside our community partners to put in place measures that could potentially save some lives,” Marc Rouleau, Director General of the City of Dorval, said.
Action Jeunesse de l’Ouest de l’île (AJOI) in partnership with the City of Dorval, will be donating reflecting backpacks containing a first aid kit, hygiene products, a map of the Greater Montreal Area (GMA), a list of resources and tickets for public transport in the coming weeks to Ullivik residence users. Communications director Sarah-Jane Boivin presented the backpack with enthusiasm stating that “we know the the backpacks will make a difference for the beneficiaries to make them feel more at home, because they are home. This help will facilitate their stay as they enter into a new step of their lives.” n