Transportation Department
General Information
The KRG and the northern villages have jurisdiction over aspects of land, air and water transportation, pursuant to the Act respecting Northern Villages and the Kativik Regional Government. The Transportation Department therefore plays a role in a variety of regional and local transportation files, including community airport management, operations and maintenance, marine infrastructure maintenance, Usijiit para-transit and public-transit services, as well as off-highway vehicle use and safety. The KRG receives funding from Transport Canada and revenue generated through landing and terminal building fees for the Kuujjuaq airport. For the region’s other community airports, it receives funding from the Québec government through the Agreement concerning Block Funding for the Kativik Regional Government (Sivunirmut Agreement). Funding for the Department’s other activities comes from various other sources.
Management Team
Director (Interim): Akin Akindele
Assistant Director, Operations: Roddy Stewart
Airports
The Kuujjuaq airport is an important gateway to the communities, providing an essential link for emergency evacuations, personal and business travel, as well as the transportation of basic food and consumer items. Kuujjuaq serves as the alternate airport for Nunavut-bound flights in case of poor weather conditions. The Department is responsible for managing, operating and maintaining the federally owned airport in accordance with all applicable federal and provincial laws and regulations. The Department also manages, operates and maintains the airports in the region’s 13 other communities. These responsibilities as well as the management of community aerodrome radio stations are provided for under mandates B.2 and B.3 of the Agreement concerning Block Funding for the Kativik Regional Government (Sivunirmut Agreement). These 13 airports are owned by the Québec government and operated in accordance with all applicable federal and provincial laws and regulations. For all general airport inquiries
, contact 819-964-2961, ext. 2300, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For more information regarding Airport Fee Schedule
Airport Issues
Major Upgrades
Between 1984 and 1991, airports were built in all the northern villages except Kuujjuaraapik and Kuujjuaq, where there were already facilities. Then and still today, along with the homes, schools and health centres constructed during the same period, these airports have had the most meaningful impact on living conditions in the region. To meet the region’s growing needs (population, health care, tourism, mining activity and business development), major upgrades have become necessary. For this purpose, airport improvement planning and work for the 13 community airports owned by the Québec government have been implemented by the Ministère des Transports du Québec (transportation) and the KRG since 2008.
Security Screening in Puvirnituq
Major upgrading work carried out in Puvirnituq has made this community airport a transportation hub for the Nunavik communities of Hudson Bay. Notwithstanding, since security screening services are not provided, passengers on flights leaving Puvirnituq for Montreal are required to pass through security screening services offered at the airports in Kuujjuaraapik or La Grande. This practice increases the operating costs of airline companies and is an inconvenience for passengers in general who must deplane at an intermediate stop and pass through security before re-boarding their aircraft. In 2012, the KRG adopted a resolution requesting that the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) provide security screening services at the terminal building in Puvirnituq. Other organizations, such as the Makivik Corporation and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, have also communicated with the CATSA on this topic.
Airport Safety
In recent years, new obligations have been transferred to airport operators, such as safety management systems, airport security plans and environmental management systems. Safety management systems at each airport include daily inspections, incident reporting and self audits. In accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations, full-scale emergency exercises must be conducted at airports every four years and table-top exercises annually. The Department organizes these exercises at community airports in cooperation with the KRG Public Security Department, Canadian Rangers, municipal fire brigades and CLSCs. The goal is to test and improve the preparedness of local emergency response resources
Transit Services
Usijiit para- and public-transit services are delivered in every community. The northern villages are responsible for day-to-day operations and vehicle maintenance while, pursuant to mandate B.20 of the Agreement concerning Block Funding for the Kativik Regional Government (Sivunirmut Agreement), the Department funds para-transit services and delivers technical assistance for both para- and public-transit services. Usijiit para-transit and public-transit services, combined, transport over 150 000 riders annually in all the northern villages. Although ticket and monthly passes are now in use in most communities, generating some revenue for the northern villages, public-transit services are partially funded under the Québec government’s Programme d’aide gouvernemental au transport collectif regional (regional public transit assistance program). Some northern villages also draw revenue from funding made available by the KRG under the Partnership Agreement on Economic and Community Development in Nunavik (Sanarrutik Agreement) for bus-driver positions.
Marine Infrastructure
Under the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement, the governments of Canada and Québec made a commitment to improve marine infrastructure in the communities. Pursuant to Section 4.2 of the Partnership Agreement on Economic and Community Development in Nunavik (Sanarrutik Agreement), the Québec government committed to pay 50% of the construction costs of this marine infrastructure and to fund daily maintenance costs, including major repairs, subject to the federal government paying its share. Between 1999 and 2011, the KRG coordinated construction projects in every community worth $91.5 million. The Construction Division of the Makivik Corporation was given responsibility for carrying out the projects. Marine infrastructure has had a significant positive impact in the communities, including improved safe access to the sea for Nunavik Inuit harvesters and more efficient sealift operations. Since 2009, the Department has been responsible for planning and coordinating regular maintenance of community marine infrastructure in accordance with available funding. Over this period, the Québec government has provided some funding for maintenance, while the federal government has yet to make any contributions. Further to the priority action contained in the Québec government’s Plan Nord toward 2035, to ensure the ongoing viability of marine infrastructure discussions have been launched with the Société du Plan Nord to obtain additional funding for community marine infrastructure maintenance through a new long-term agreement.
Ice Movement
Monitoring of Ice Conditions Near Marine Infrastructure at Umiujaq, Quaqtaq and Kuujjuaq, 2009 to 2014
Under the project entitled Climate Change and Marine Infrastructure: Impacts and Adaptation that is spearheaded by the ministère des Transports du Québec (transportation) in cooperation with several contributors including the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (scientific research institute), research equipment was installed in certain Nunavik communities to monitor climate and ice conditions. The project’s main objective is to identify the impacts of climate change on community marine infrastructure as well as adjustment measures to be implemented to ensure the longevity of the infrastructure and the safety of users. As the owner of community marine infrastructure in Nunavik, the KRG is directly concerned by this project and is actively involved, among others, in gathering local and regional traditional knowledge, disseminating and presenting results in the communities and to users, as well as providing significant logistical support for the community visits carried out by the project’s different partners. In order to begin sharing the information that has been collected under this project to date, the KRG has compiled a certain number of photos taken with cameras installed next to the community marine infrastructure at Quaqtaq, Umiujaq and Kuujjuaq. Any information appearing in the upper portion of the photograph was produced by the camera. The meteorological data presented to the right are from Environment Canada. Water-level data forecasts are from the Canadian Hydrographic Service. The compass is oriented according to the camera position and the arrow points towards the wind.
Off-Highway Vehicles
The Nunavik Round Table on Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) was created in 2010 as a forum for regional stakeholders to improve safety for OHV users, to recommend amendments to existing regulations in line with the distinct characteristics of the region, and to improve trails. In its capacity as the body responsible for acting in regional development matters in the Kativik sector of the Nord-du-Québec administrative region, the KRG spearheads the OHV mandate. Discussions concerning renewed funding for this mandate are on-going.
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