The newly elected chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is calling for fair northern supply chain practices after residents of Sachs Harbour were placed under a boil-water advisory.
On Monday, the NWT’s chief environmental health officer advised everyone in the community to boil their drinking water for at least one minute.
The territory said it was issuing the precautionary advisory as Sachs Harbour’s water treatment plant could not draw water for treatment due to “frozen intake and truck-fill pipes following extreme winter conditions.”
In a news release on Thursday, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation – or IRC – attributed the broader issue at the water treatment plant to logistical challenges.
According to the IRC, essential equipment for the facility did not arrive before the winter, preventing proper operation of the system.
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The IRC asserted that industries such as mining, oil and gas, and major infrastructure projects are consistently prioritized in the northern supply chain over communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, including Sachs Harbour.
“This systemic prioritization means that essential supplies, including those required for water treatment and maintenance, often do not reach our communities in a timely manner, especially during critical seasonal windows,” the IRC stated.
“Our residents deserve to be prioritized above corporate interests – necessities like safe water should never take a back seat to big money,” stated Erwin Elias, chair and chief executive officer of the IRC.
“Too often, decisions are driven by where the most money is at stake, leaving our communities behind when it comes to essential services.”
The press release stated that due to these supply chain issues, communities like Sachs Harbour face increased vulnerability to service disruptions and delays in receiving resources, directly impacting health and wellbeing.
The IRC pledged to work with local leadership, territorial authorities and others to “resolve these longstanding issues and to keep residents informed.”
