History
The Baffin Regional Agvik Society was created in 1986 by a group of community minded women advocating for and offering safe spaces for women and children experiencing violence in their homes.
Through their advocacy work a space and funding was found to operate the first women’s shelter in the Eastern Arctic. In 2011 Agvik became a member association joining with the YWCA Canada movement.
The YWCA has 150-year history of creating and supporting programs and safe spaces for women and girls across the country.
Less than 40 years ago this organization began as a group of Inuit women who fed those in need or open their homes to women fleeing violence in their community.
Today we run a 26-bed Family Violence Shelter (Qimaavik) and a 12-bed Homeless Shelter (Sivummut) both for women and children. We are a part of national effort to create a safe and equitable society for all.
ᐊᒃᓱᕉᑕᐅᔪᑕᐅᔪᑦ
- ᖃᐅᔨᕚᓕᕈᑎᒃᓴᑦ
- ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ
- ᐃᒡᓗᖃᕈᓐᓇᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᓐᓂᖕᓂ
- ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᑎᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦᒥᓗ ᒪᓕᒐᖏᓐᓄᑦ
Advocacy
- Awareness campaigns
- Advocate on behalf of residents
- Creation of transitional housing
- Development of gender- sensitive Federal and Territorial policies
Board Members
ᒥᓯᐅᓪ ᑑᓴᓐ, ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓄᑦ ᐃᑦᓯᕙᐅᑕᖅ
Michelle Doucet
Board Chair
ᒥᓯᐅᓪ ᑑᓴᓐ, ᒥᓯᐅᓪ ᑑᓴᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᑦᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᔨᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᐊᑐᐊᒐᕐᓅᖓᔪᓄᓪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᒋᐊᖅᑎᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑮᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᑦᓯᐊᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᐅᔪᓅᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ.
Michelle Doucette has experience as a Program Analyst and Policy Advisor at both the Territorial and Federal levels of Government she brings her experience with procedure and legislation to her role on the board.
ᐊᓖᖠᐊ ᐊᕐᓇᖅᑯᖅ ᕗᕆᐅᓪ, ᐃᑦᓯᕙᐅᑕᐅᑉ ᑐᖏᓕᖓ
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Vice Chair
ᐊᓖᖠᐊ ᐊᕐᓇᖅᑯᖅ ᕗᕆᐅᓪ, ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑭᖑᕚᕆᔭᐅᑦᓱᓂᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓂ ᓂᐱᒋᔭᐅᒋᐊᙵᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᓪᓗᓂ Red Marrow Media−ᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᓯᒪᒻᒥᑦᓱᓂ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᓚᕖᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ−ᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑦᓯᕙᐅᑕᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᖏᓕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᑏᒍ ᑐᓴᕋᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐱᕕᖃᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂᓪᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ 2005−ᒥᓂᑦ.
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril acclaimed documentary filmmaker and grand niece of one of the original community advocates. In her role as current President of Red Marrow Media, past president of Inuit TV Network & Unikkaat Studios as well as Vice President of Atiigo Media she has managed funding and timelines for multiple projects since 2005.
ᑕᕕ ᓕᖕ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨ
Debbie Lyng
Treasurer
ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨ - ᑕᕕ ᓕᖕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆ.ᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᓱ CPA ᐊᒻᒪᓗ CA, ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓂᖅᐹᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᓚᔅᑐ ᓛᓐᑕᐅ ᑐᙵᕕᖃᖅᓱᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ. ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᒻᒥᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑲᒥᓯᓇᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ 1st ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᓯᑲᐅᑦᓯᓄᑦ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ Royal Purple ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᓇᒻᒥᓕᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ.
The Treasurer, Debbie Lyng, CPA and CA, is the longest serving member of the Board and partner in the accounting firm Lester Landau based in Nunavut. She also volunteers as the Group Commissioner of 1st Iqaluit Scout Group, Treasurer of the Royal Purple Ladies Auxiliary and Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce.
ᓘᑦᑖ ᒫᑕᓕᓐ ᑰᓪ
Madeleine Cole
Secretary
ᓘᑦᑖᖅ ᒫᑕᓕᓐ ᑯᓪ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑐᙵᕕᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓂᐱᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕐᓇᓅᖓᔪᒧᑦ ᕿᑐᕐᖏᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᓄᑦ. ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᕕᑦᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᒃ ᖁᓕᓂᒃ. ᓯᕗᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᐅᒋᐊᓕᓐᓅᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕋᓛᓄᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕕᐊᓗᒻᒥ ᑕᐃᑲᓂᓗ ᓘᑦᑖᕐᔪᐊᕆᔭᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᐃᓚᒌᓐᓄᑦ.
The boards newest member is
Dr. Madeleine Cole; member of the Federation of Medical women and a recognized advocate by the Canadian Association of Mental Health and in the domain of gender and reproductive health rights. She was the Director of medical education in our region for a decade. She led the creation of the Medical Ethics Committee at Qikiqtani General Hospital where she runs a full scope family practise.
