Kitikmeot Inuit Association announces COVID-19 programs for beneficiaries

The Kitikmeot Inuit Association has announced two temporary programs for beneficiaries using funding from Indigenous Service Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The association represents Inuit beneficiaries from Nunavut's Kitikmeot region, which includes the communities of Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk, and Taloyoak.

The funding for the programs comes from Indigenous Services Canada,and both programs will run for three monthsstarting on April 1 and running through the end of June.

Registered beneficiary elders will each receive a cash supplement of $500 a month for the three months, intended to help assist them in purchasing healthy foods, according to a news release. All beneficiaries born in 1960 and earlier will automatically qualify for the supplement, with no application required.

The association also states that it will be in contact with some eligible elders to get banking information for direct deposits. There are 541 registered elders in the region,bringing the total amount committed under the supplement to $811,500.

In addition, registered Kitikmeot beneficiary families can apply for financial assistance to get out of their communities and live on the land at cabins or camps.

Each of the five communities in the region will be allocated $50,000 per month for the three months under the program, bringing that total amount to $750,000.

The association is currently finalizing a "brief online and phone-in application process," according to the release. It also states that more programs will be introduced by the association in the "near future."