Power restored in Kimmirut, Nunavut, after 3-day outage

The power is back on in Kimmirut, Nunavut, after a community-wide outage that lasted almost three days.

Nunavut energy provider Qulliq Energy Corporation said in an online update Sunday afternoon that power has been restored to the community.

About 400 people live in the South Baffin Island hamlet, which is about 125 kilometres southwest of Iqaluit. During the outage, homes and stores were without heat and electricity, and many residents were low on food without refrigeration.

The outage came at a difficult time for the community, which is still grieving after two community members were lost in a serious boating accident just weeks ago.

Sore and tired

That is especially true for Mialia Tikivik, whose father and brother were in the accident. She returned to the community just two weeks ago, after the accident, and then the three-day power outage struck.

"I'm grateful to be there for my family and I'm so grateful for them to be there for me too," she said.

She's been doing the rounds to check on all her family members, including a younger brother with special needs and dietary requirements. 

"I'm sore, I'm tired. My body is still overwhelmed. It's one of the toughest things I thought I'd have to go through in Kimmirut." 

But she said she's grateful for how the community has rallied together to ensure everybody is fed and warm. 

Qaqqalik School, which has power through a generator, opened as a warming shelter and is handing out fuel, food and water.

David Joanasie, Nunavut's minister of community and government services, said the government sent additional supplies on Saturday night. 

He said the main airline in the region, Canadian North, has been working to provide extra cargo services to Kimmirut residents, and local stores have been working to replenish the stock of food at the warming centre.

A backup generator is operational at the water treatment plant, but a boil water advisory was declared on Saturday, and the local health centre is only open for emergencies and urgent medical concerns. As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, this had not yet changed.

State of emergency continues

The hamlet declared a state of emergency at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the Nunavut government followed suit that afternoon, nearly two days after power first went out. 

Joanasie said outages are common across Nunavut and usually they're resolved by the following day.

"When things didn't go that way, and with the level of uncertainty about when power would be restored, I think things got to a point where a local state of emergency was declared, and the Government of Nunavut also executed our triggers," he said. 

The territorial state of emergency is in effect until Nov. 16.

Joanasie said government agencies will stay on the ground to ensure households are safe and well, as he anticipates some after-effects from the extended outage.

That'll include having plumbers on-hand for any frozen pipes.

Once her aunt's house is warmed up, Tikivik knows exactly what she wants to do first.

"I want to go shower, I miss taking a bath."