Ullivik Center

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Dorval Mayor Marc Doret is calling for an urgent round table think tank on how to resolve issues related to intoxication in the Inuuk community causing safety issues and public disorder in his municipality.

Following several months of discussions between the City of Dorval and the Ullivik Center, a centre that responds to the needs of the Inuuk population in the area, Doret estimates that 20 per cent of the Inuuk population in the area are struggling with issues related to drugs and alcohol. The evening hours are the most concerning, according to Doret, as many (of the estimated 20 per cent) are outdoors during that time and under the influence.

“It’s a problem that’s not getting better and we need to face it. It needs to come out of the closet,” Doret told The Suburban. “We need to sit down, the city, the CIUSSS, Ullivik, the SAQ, business owners selling alcohol in Dorval, AJOI, the SPVM, the STM and the Quebec government. We need to put our heads together and first have a frank discussion on this issue and determine the best course of action needed to address the issue. The safety of the Inuit population is primordial and the effects on residents must also be considered. It is our duty not to abandon them when in this situation.”

Doret says that with the Ullivik Center having reached capacity while the Inuit population continues to grow, there are more and more people living in the area without access to necessary resources to support them upon arrival. The Ullivik Center also does have the resources to accommodate persons who are intoxicated. “Aside from being over capacity, the centre does not take in people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and unlike other sectors, like Ottawa for example, that has separate centres nearby where people can get sober, here — they remain outdoors. We need to find a way to reach that population and address these issues. They are interacting as best as they can in a very strange world and we are trying to integrate this population by incorporating familiar entertainment, for example, at some of our outdoor events,” Doret explained. “We also need to demonstrate to the population of Dorval (as a whole) that we acknowledge the issue. We have a responsibility to help them (the Inuuk population) integrate and keep them safe.”

The roundtable is planned for August of this year. Doret hopes to find resolutions for his community as a whole and has committed efforts towards resolutions since 2022, when two Inuuk women, Jane Tulugak and Nellie Niviaxie, lost their lives in similar circumstances 24 hours apart when they were struck by vehicles as they were travelling from the Ullivik Centre to Dorval’s commercial and transport hubs. A Quebec Coroners report revealed that both of the victims were in a state of intoxication at the time of their death.