OTTAWAMIUT

There is an estimate of over 1000 Inuit in Ottawa. Amoung this population is a shared culture, language, values and traditions contribute to the creation of a socially and culturally cohesive community. There are many reasons behind the growth of the Inuit community in Ottawa. As the nation's capital, it is popular because of the employment opportunities available with the numerous Inuit organizations based in the area and to a lesser degree, employment opportunities within government.

Inuit also come to Ottawa to gain access to services unavailable in their home community. Since October 1997, patients from the Baffin region of Nunavut have traveled to Ottawa for major surgery and specialist services not available in the north (such as pediatrics, orthopedics and cardiology). The need to travel for medical reasons has led to an increase in the number of Inuit patients (and family members) who stay in Ottawa for extended periods of time. Also, some Inuit caught in family violence situations move south in search of the necessary support services they require or because it is not safe for them to continue to live in their home community.

The network of family relations means that a greater number of Inuit in Arctic communities have relatives to visit in Ottawa. In some cases, people move south to be closer to relatives who have already settled here.