Nunavik’s only veterinary clinic is looking for a new funder, or risk closure

By Samuel Wat

Nunavik’s only permanent veterinary clinic in Kuujjuaq, Que., is looking for a new partner to oversee and fund its services – or risk closure. 

The clinic, which opened in 2023, started as a pilot project with multiple partners. They include Makivvik, Nayumivik Landholding Corporation, Société du Plan Nord, Université de Montréal, as well as the Northern Village of Kuujjuaq.

The project has interns and volunteers flying up for temporary rotations. But the Northern Village of Kuujjuaq, which currently oversees the project, is looking for someone else to take over.

Deputy mayor Claude Gadbois says the council is being sued by a resident who had an animal die under a veterinarian’s care, though he says the veterinarian school has assured him the clinic is covered in such an event. 

The lawsuit filed in the fall of 2025 prompted councillors to review the project’s finances, and they discovered the clinic was causing the council to run a deficit of roughly $50,000 a year. The municipality then contacted all its partners to explore alternative options. 

“We shouldn’t be using our municipal budget to finance a veterinary clinic,” he said. “In the south, there is no such thing as a municipality running a veterinary clinic.”

Earlier this week, the Kuujjuaq Veterinary Project posted on Facebook saying the clinic “in its current form is stopping”, and that has triggered dozens of comments from residents. 

Anthony Kauki told CBC News he’s been to the clinic at least a dozen times with his two dogs and one cat, including when his husky got hit by a car. He says the clinic is a vital service for Kuujjuamiut like himself. 

“I was heartbroken,” he said. “We can’t just spend thousands of dollars to send our dog down south.”

Gadbois says he doesn’t want to see the clinic close either, but somebody else needs to take on the responsibilities.

Géraldine-G. Gouin, a volunteer who helps manage the clinic, says she understands the municipality’s position. Right now, she says there are no protocols for how the clinic operates, so they need to find a long-term solution. 

“I don’t think anybody is upset at anyone. I think we just need to figure out a better way to make this continue,” she said.

Société du Plan Nord, which provided funding to build the clinic, says it’s scheduled to meet with the municipality in the coming days to discuss a path forward.

With the current funding model, Gouin says the clinic is able to provide services at a lower cost than private clinics down south, and she hopes that can continue with whoever may take over the project. 

“I’m hopeful the project can continue in another form.”

Canada: Veterinary team from Almonte provides crucial care in Canada’s North, CBC News

United States: Lack of village police leads to hiring cops with criminal records in Alaska: Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Media