Tributes flowing in over death of 4-year

Tributes flowing in over death of 4-year-old boy in Ivujivik, Que.

Quebec's coroner's office is investigating to establish the facts

Tributes are flowing in after the death of a four-year-old boy in the Nunavik village of Ivujivik, prompting Quebec's coroner's office to investigate.

Nunavik police Chief Jean-François Bernier, told CBC News officers responded to a call about a boy who was unconscious at his home and was taken to the local nursing station on Aug. 1.

It’s unclear how long the boy received treatment, or what that treatment involved.

Mandy Gull-Masty, the MP for Abitibi–Baie–James–Nunavik–Eeyou, offered her condolences to the boy's family.

In a statement, Gull-Masty said Inuit families and communities should have access to safe, reliable health-care.

“We expect the province of Quebec and the medical staff involved to address this matter with the utmost seriousness and to ensure that the system can provide answers to the family and community while also working to prevent future tragedies from occurring,” she said.

In a social media post Tuesday, the Inuulitsivik Health Centre, which serves the village of Ivujivik, said it is fully cooperating with reviews underway to understand what happened.

The organization initially declined to comment further, but later issued a joint news release Wednesday evening alongside the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services.

The release states there will be both internal and external reviews into the death, and the health centre and board are committed to acting on the findings and recommendations.

The release also said natural helpers and health professionals are available for support, and urged people to remain calm and show care for one another.

"Violence is not the solution. It will not bring answers or healing to the family or the community," the release said.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Quebec’s Health Minister Sonia Belanger, said the province is deciding on the appropriate next steps.

The Quebec coroner's office confirmed it is investigating the death, but it could not comment on the cause or circumstances.

The coroner's office says investigations in the province typically take nine months to complete.

Samuel Wat is a reporter for CBC North based in Yellowknife, mostly covering Nunavut's Kitikmeot region. He has also worked as a web writer and producer for CBC, including in Iqaluit and Ottawa, and for public and state broadcasters in New Zealand before that. You can reach him at samuel.wat@cbc.ca

With files from Sharon Yonan-Renold