Question Period Note: Nunavut COVID Lockdown

What is ESDC doing to provide income support services to Canadians in the North?

• Service Canada continues to provide Canadians in the North with information and financial support through Employment Insurance and other benefit programs during this pandemic.

• Services are offered both in-person and virtually.

• In the North, the Service Canada Centre in Iqaluit is open to provide in-person assistance to Canadians.

• The Service Canada Centre in Cambridge Bay will reopen on Monday, November 23.

• The Rankin Inlet office will reopen on December 8.

• Canadians can also access services virtually.

• eService allows clients to submit service requests online and be contacted within two days.

• Northern Indigenous communities can also connect with Service Canada by calling the recently launched Outreach Support Centre. This service is available to vulnerable Canadians without access to technological supports.

• The Iqaluit Service Canada Centre does have the capacity to provide services to clients in Inuktitut.

• All Scheduled outreach and in-person Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) is currently paused. However, Service Canada has proactively contacted all COLS Indigenous communities and reached out to over 1,500 different community partners who support vulnerable clients, to ensure they are aware of COVID-19 special measures. There are 25 COLs communities in Nunavut, all of whom are supported through this initiative.

• To support remote Indigenous communities during this pandemic period, Service Canada launched the COLS Outreach Support Centre (OSC). This initiative was driven by concerns about Indigenous and vulnerable clients without access to technological supports. The Outreach Support Centre is available for the most vulnerable Canadians so they can call Service Canada and be provided with service and information over the phone. The Iqaluit Service Canada Centre has the capacity to provide service in Inuktitut for the OSC.

• Under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, Service Canada has already had a request to amend an agreement to provide alternative services due to the shutdown. Service Canada will continue to assist our Service Delivery Partners to ensure that programs can continue for youth in Nunavut.

• If supply chains or borders were to be closed for a significant period of time programs and services would be maintained despite the challenges.

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