The Fonds d’initiatives nordiques is a financial aid program designed to respond in real time to the priority needs of Québec’s northern communities. Since its inception, numerous projects from all over the northern territory have been selected for financial support. Here is the list of initiatives selected as part of the call for projects launched in February 2024. 

Côte-Nord  

  • The Comité ZIP de la Rive Nord de l’Estuaire will develop a strategic plan that will target actions to be implemented to better meet the community’s priority needs. ($70,000) 
  • Éclore Côte-Nord will organize a regional early childhood event in Sept-Îles in 2024, focusing on the development of innovative local approaches to reach vulnerable families. ($21,950) 
  • The Maison de la famille de Baie-Comeau will be equipped with an apartment for the implementation of service for supervised access rights. The project aims to recreate an environment similar to a family home, while ensuring the safety of the child, parents and employees. ($100,000) 
  • The Municipality of Blanc-Sablon will acquire search and rescue equipment to optimize the response of its firefighters in unorganized territory. ($33,094)       
  • The Ekuanitshit Innu Council will oversee the construction of a social development support pavilion called Eshikatiut Tshukuminu Innu-Natukuna (ETIN). The project will be based on and inspired by Innu cultural heritage ($500,000). 
  • Habitations Manicouagan will draw up plans and specifications for the construction of a 56-unit multiplex in Baie-Comeau. These affordable units are designed for singles, independent seniors, vulnerable individuals and families with one child. ($100,000) 
  • The Municipality of Pointe-aux-Outardes will be building a new 2 km trail with a rest area for all ages near Les Dunes elementary school. ($100,000)  
  • The Corporation des amis du Boisé de la Pointe Saint-Gilles in Baie-Comeau will restore a pathway infrastructure to ensure visitor access. ($14,000) 
  • Maison Alpha ABC Côte-Nord will be adapting its new premises to enable the roll-out of new French assessment and drop-in daycare services, as well as enhancing its range of francization courses. ($100,000) 
  • The Ekuanitshit Innu Council will conduct a study on the creation of a rental building with space for local entrepreneurs. This collaborative project will promote economic diversification and job creation in the community. ($100,000) 
  • The Centre d’action bénévole de la MRC Manicouagan will be carrying out a feasibility study and a development concept for its expansion project, which includes the installation of a commercial kitchen for the meals-on-wheels service and a solidarity grocery store. ($70,000) 
  • Sept-Îles-based PANACHE art actuel will carry out the ARRIMAGE project, which has two components: the creation of a reception area facilitating the discovery of visual arts for all, and the establishment of a creation and dissemination space for digital practices. ($55,000) 
  • The Regroupement des CPE de la Côte-Nord will set up a regional recruitment office to address the labour shortage in the Côte-Nord early childhood network. ($100,000) 
  • The Centre national des naufrages will update its business plan, develop new partnerships and use new technologies to position the organization as the Côte-Nord’s flagship tourism institution. ($100,000) 
  • Environnement Côte-Nord will identify the impacts of human activity on the Manicouagan RCM and the Nitassinan of Pessamit, and implement solutions to mitigate some impacts. ($99,815) 
  • The Centre de la petite enfance Magimuse of the Manicouagan RCM will be hiring two specialized resource persons to ensure that children with special support needs are fully integrated into group life. ($58,700) 
  • The Manicouagan-Uapishka World Biosphere Reserve will host the UNESCO Northern Regions Conference in the fall of 2024. This event will establish a common roadmap for the 2025-2030 period in order to increase cooperation between communities and UNESCO sites in and around the North Atlantic region. ($83,237) 
  • The Office municipal d’habitation (OMH) de la ville de Port-Cartier will draw up plans and specifications for a project to build affordable housing for low-income singles and families. OMH plans to build a three-storey building with 30 units in Port-Cartier. ($57,500) 
  • The Regional County Municipality of Minganie will improve the Manitou River trails to enhance the Mingan territory and improve user safety. ($100,000). 
  • The Corporation de développement de Schefferville will draw up plans and specifications for the construction of a multifunctional hall that will offer sports, social and community activities, as well as rental space. ($84,880) 
  • The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach will build a boardwalk in a natural setting to provide the population with a space to develop healthy lifestyle habits, gather and observe the flora and wildlife. ($500,000)  
  • The municipality of Natashquan wants to create a children’s park at the heart of its tourist circuit. ($63,754) 
  • The Unamen Shipu Economic Development Corporation will train tour guides and reception staff to increase their numbers and support the community’s ecotourism development. ($61,759) 
  • Matimekush-Lac John Innu Nation is looking to equip its new community centre with kitchen, lighting, sound and video equipment ($399,483). 
  • The Port of Havre-Saint-Pierre will be acquiring radio guides and audio guides to meet tourist demand in and around Havre-Saint-Pierre. The project includes the creation of content in various languages for the audio guides. ($99,500) 

Eeyou Istchee James Bay  

  • The city of Lebel-sur-Quévillon will acquire and renovate a building to house a dental and optometry health cooperative. ($500,000) 
  • The Comptoir familial Seconde Vie Matagami will improve the services it offers to the public by renovating its premises, making them more functional and safer for its volunteers. ($8,777) 
  • BoréA DécouVERTE, whose mission is to educate the public about the potential of the forest’s natural resources, will develop sustainable tourist circuits aimed at provincial, national and international clientele. ($100,000) 
  • The Corporation des loisirs de Chapais has set up a creative and inclusive cultural mediation workshop to forge links between art, local history and sustainable development. ($1,792) 
  • The community of Radisson will set up a videoconferencing room adapted to the needs of citizens and organizations. This room will not only enable the population to benefit from remote health and social services. ($91,700) 
  • The Maison de la Famille Le Petit Train Inc. in Chapais will convert its garage into a semi-industrial kitchen, transforming supermarket leftovers and redistributing them to people in need. ($100,000) 
  • FaunENord will collect data on the reproductive cycles of reptiles and amphibians in order to adapt standardized inventory protocols to the realities of northern Québec. ($98,584) 
  • The Cree Nation of Waswanipi will monitor the presence of American marten in quality habitats, taking into account the impact of forest fires and climate change in data analysis. ($100,000) 
  • In order to take ownership of research initiatives in Eeyou Istchee, the Cree Nation Government will invest in the development of a research institute. ($100,000) 

Nunavik  

  • Community Health Solutions TLS Nunavik will set up a trilingual online store to promote the sale of Inuit handicrafts, in support of community social health. ($90,000) 
  • The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre will draw up plans and specifications for the construction of an Inuit cultural workshop adjacent to the main building. ($100,000) 
  • The Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre will carry out a project involving the purchase of sports and outdoor equipment to set up a therapeutic family program, combining activities and healing. ($89,901) 
  • Hébergement communautaire Ungava will adapt the plans and specifications required for the construction of a new mixed housing facility adapted to its mental health clientele, in Kuujjuaq. ($100,000) 
  • Sirivik will acquire furniture and equipment for the professional community kitchen, four-season greenhouse, hydroponic container, office and meeting spaces at its new food sovereignty reference centre in Inukjuak. ($100,000) 
  • The Makivvik Corporation will conduct analyses of the water and wildlife of the George River watershed. ($100,000) 
  • Production Innu Assi will document the skills and know-how of the elders in the Inuit village of Quaqtaq, collecting testimonials to preserve this intangible heritage for future generations. ($100,000) 

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean  

  • The ZEC des Passes will install four accommodation units at the entrance to its Alex River hiking trail, near its campground, to enhance its family recreation and tourism offering. ($30,000) 
  • The municipality of Saint-Stanislas will build a water playground in the heart of the village, close to its multi-purpose centre, with the aim of broadening the range of recreational activities available to its residents. ($100,000) 
  • The municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette will set up two automated food service hubs on its territory to offer its residents and visitors local access to food and other convenience products. ($372,907) 

Projects involving more than one northern region 

  • Chiots Nordiques will coordinate a collaborative program to set up ad hoc veterinary clinics, by training local resources and acquiring medical equipment, in four communities north of the 49th parallel. ($99,900) 
  • The Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean will create a comprehensive overview of energy usage north of the 49 th parallel, develop a practical guide on the use of photovoltaic systems, and provide related training. ($100,000)