NUNAVUT

The opening of two addictions treatment centres for Nunavut residents has been delayed by a couple of years as more planning needs to be done, says the deputy minister for Nunavut's Department of Health and Social Services.

Peter Ma said his department will not open residential addictions treatment centres in Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit as planned this spring. The territorial's request for proposals for the centres, which received two responses, are on hold pending funding and proper planning, he added.

"It's still a high priority item within the department and across the government but at this point, I think we need to make sure we've got the right work done ahead of time, in terms of planning," he said, adding this includes assessing what they need and what facilities are currently in place.

As to why the planning was not done before the RFP was put out this winter, Ma said it was difficult to answer as he was not the department's deputy minister at the time.

"I did not have the opportunity to transition," he said. "I don't want to speculate on what may or may not have happened. The important thing to remember right now is that we are moving forward still and we are going to make sure we do this properly in terms of the planning aspects of it."

The Department of Health and Social Services put out a request for proposals Jan. 14 to establish residential addictions treatment centres in Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit in existing Government of Nunavut buildings already furnished and equipped. Each centre, to be operational 24/7, was to have the capacity to support 12 people for a 28-day inpatient treatment program with a continual intake, accepting patients from youth to elders, both male and female. At the time, the government anticipated the facilities would open in the spring.

As the department still has not secured funds for the project in the capital plan, Ma said they are looking at the legislature's fall sitting to get it in the 2012-13 capital plan, adding this means the centres' opening would be years away.

"We can't make a commitment until the funds are in place," he said.

Once the funding is in place, he added they will decide whether to do another RFP.

Elissa McKinnon, a spokeswoman for the territory's Department of Community and Government Services, said they received two responses from the request for proposal put out this winter but the process is on hold pending funding.

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