Recovery is rarely a journey taken alone. It requires connection, belonging, and the support of community.
In Nunavut, a new vision for recovery is taking shape, one that brings care closer to home and places culture and human connection at its core. The recently completed Aqqusariaq Nunavut Recovery Centre supports mental health, addiction recovery, and healing from generational trauma through a model of care developed by Inuit, for Inuit.
Named after the Inuktitut word for “a trail you go through to reach your destination,” Aqqusariaq blends clinical care with traditional ceremony areas, on-the-land programming, family counseling, vocational training, and spaces for cultural practices. Designed to support individuals, families, and diverse treatment pathways, the centre promotes flexibility, well-being, and culturally responsive care for Nunavummiut.
Through collaborative, community-informed design, Aqqusariaq represents something larger than a building. It demonstrates how community health and recovery centre design can come together to create spaces that foster belonging, dignity, and healing for generations to come
" }ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᒃᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕈᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᒃᑯᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᒃᑎᒍᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᙵᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ
ᒪᒥᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐃᓄᑑᓗᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᒐᔪᙱᓚᖅ. ᑲᑎᙵᓂᖃᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓗᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᓄᑦ.
ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᑕᐅᑐᙳᐊᖅᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑐᓐᓃᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᐳᖅ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᖃᓂᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᐃᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᓪᓗ ᐊᒃᑐᐊᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᙵᕕᓪᓗᐊᑕᕆᓗᓂᔾᔪᒃ. ᖃᖓᑦᑎᐊᓵᖅ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᑕᐅᓵᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᖅᑯᓴᕆᐊᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᕗᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᒥᒍᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕋᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐅᐃᕆᓯᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑐᓐᓃᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑭᖑᕚᕇᓄᑦ ᖁᐊᖅᓵᖅᓯᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ, ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᑐᕌᖓᔪᒥᒃ.
ᐊᑦᑎᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ "ᐊᖅᑯᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᓵᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᐅᐸᒐᓱᒃᑕᕐᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᓐᓇᓱᐊᖅᖢᑎᑦ," ᐊᖅᑯᓴᕆᐊᖅ ᑲᑎᙵᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᐳᖅ ᐃᓗᐊᖅᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ, ᓄᓇᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕆᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᒌᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᖅᐸᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᔪᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᒌᓂᒃ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᕈᓘᔭᖅᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᐃᓗᐊᖅᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᑎᒋᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᔾᔨᕐᓇᖅᓯᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᐳᖅ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᕋᒃᓴᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᓄᓪᓗ ᐊᒃᑐᐊᓂᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᖅᐸᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᓄᑦ.
ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᑦ−ᑐᓴᐅᒪᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᒪᓂᖓ, ᐊᖅᑯᓴᕆᐊᖅ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᕗᖅ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᒥᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᕐᔪᐊᒥᑦ. ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᕕᖕᒧᓪᓗ ᑕᐅᑦᑐᒃᓴᖓ ᑲᑎᑦᑐᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒡᓗ ᑭᖑᕚᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ.
" }