Hamlet of Arctic Bay, Nunavut, warns people against misusing Jordan's Principle program

The Hamlet of Arctic Bay is warning its residents to not misuse the money they receive under the Jordan's Principle (JP) program.

Under the federal program for Inuit and First Nations, households in Nunavut with children up to 18 years of age can receive $500 per child each month. There's an additional $250 for children under the age of three.

André Larabie, the chief administrative officer at the Hamlet of Arctic Bay, said there are several streams for accessing funding through the program. The one being distributed through the hamlet is for purchasing healthy food. 

But he said he's seen several posts on Facebook about people reselling groceries purchased using JP funds for cash. 

"That's in breach of the agreement they signed that they would be accepting the [gift card] and that the food would be purchased to feed their family. It's not to be sold," he said.

"Anyone that is caught doing that will risk losing their privilege of receiving the funding because it's fraud." 

All invoices are checked, CAO says

Larabie said the hamlet has received $2.9 million to run this program from June 1, 2024 until March 31, 2025, and there are currently 456 children signed up.

He said all invoices are audited — so they will catch people bending the rules. 

"The money is for feeding your children, so let's stick to that and let's do it right or we will lose the funding next year," he said. 

He's waiting for advice from federal government officials about how to deal with cases of JP funds being misused. 

That could include a warning letter or suspension from the program, he said, and renewal of the funding for the community is contingent on the program being run properly. 

There is a formal process by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for investigating allegations and complaints about the misuse of public funds, by email or phone.

JP program not well understood 

Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout understands the hamlet's concerns about losing its funding if the program isn't properly run.

However, she said some Nunavummiut are forced into tough financial situations, with the lack of employment opportunities in the territory. 

"Too many Nunavummiut are compelled to find ways to feed themselves," she said. 

She also believes there isn't enough awareness about what the program is for.

"It's not just for alleviating poverty. It's about children having the services they need, whether it's for children with disabilities to learn in school, or to make sure children have beds to sleep in," she said. 

Carolane Gratton, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada, said the department has worked with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on its awareness campaign about the program, which has included social media, radio public service announcements, and some advertisements in Inuktitut too.

Though only a quarter of parents of Inuit children reported having heard about the initiative, according to findings from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey released last week. 

In the first week of the program, Larabie said people were incorrectly using the hamlet-distributed JP funds to buy junk foods, but he's since communicated with the local grocery stores about what foods are permitted. 

The JP program, which is formally known as the Inuit Child First Initiative, allows funds for other purchases, such as mattresses, medical services and education, but Larabie said those requests must go through Indigenous Services Canada, rather than the hamlet. 

Overall, he said he's heard positive reviews about getting that extra money for food, and there'll be more help coming later this month when the new food bank is ready to open.