A new emergency call center is set to open in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, to serve more residents in Nunavik, located just outside Montreal. The initiative aims to enhance emergency response by dispatching 911 calls from five northern Quebec communities. This development was announced by Quebec’s Indigenous affairs minister, Ian Lafrenière, in collaboration with officials from the Kativik Regional Government, Saint-Eustache, and Nunavik police.
The establishment of this call center is an extension of a pilot project launched in March 2023 following a tragic incident in Kuujjuaq in 2013. A commission investigating the incident identified the urgent need to upgrade the region’s emergency call services. The growing volume of calls necessitated a dedicated space to handle the increasing demand.
Previously, residents would directly contact police officers using a 10-digit emergency phone number. However, this approach, according to Shaun Longstreet, deputy chief for the Nunavik Police Service, was deemed inadequate for modern standards. Lafrenière highlighted the lack of a secure line when emergency calls were transmitted through radios, emphasizing the necessity for change.
With a provincial government contribution exceeding $4 million, the Kativik Regional Government will receive support for this vital project. Initially covering three Nunavik communities, the call center in Saint-Eustache will expand its services to five villages, with plans to include all 14 communities by the end of 2029.
Lafrenière expressed satisfaction with the project’s success, emphasizing the importance of dispatchers being trained with a focus on language and culture sensitivity. Dispatchers were actively involved in engaging with community members to better comprehend their needs and realities.
Although other communities, such as Iqaluit and Cree communities, were consulted for similar initiatives, their current capacity did not allow them to participate. Dispatchers in Saint-Eustache are equipped with tools to assist Inuktitut speakers, including a translation system for seamless communication.
Thierry Vallières, director of police in Saint-Eustache, noted the need for additional speakers to accommodate callers who may switch to Inuktitut during distressing situations. Currently, the majority of calls received are in English, but efforts are underway to recruit more language speakers to enhance the service.
