Our Story

The call of the great outdoors, thousands of kilometers from home

Sometimes, the most beautiful chapters of life begin with a somewhat impulsive decision, driven by a simple desire for adventure, discovery, and the great outdoors. That’s how we left our home in Laval, turning our daily lives upside down to answer the call of Kangiqsualujjuaq, in Nunavik.

And fate’s twist is a delightful one: even though we lived just a few kilometers apart in southern Quebec, it was in the heart of the Inuit village—thousands of kilometers from home—that our paths crossed. Joe Salman had already been there for three months when Maher Abilmouna arrived in early July 2016. This unexpected arrival led to a northern living arrangement that lasted until April 2017—when Joe moved on to another village, while Maher chose to extend his adventure for two more years. In total, one spent about 5 years and the other 6 to 7 years immersing themselves in northern life.

Learning Humility and Hands-On Experience

Working in child welfare in an Indigenous context means, first and foremost, facing a difficult reality, where the institution is often viewed with suspicion—and rightly so. Rather than relying on the authority granted to us by our mandate, we chose a different path: one of empathy and respect.

As soon as we arrived, we took the time to meet with the mayor and key community leaders. We were there to listen to their perspectives on the challenges facing their community, understand the historical tensions with the DPJ, and hear what they truly expected from us. This approach taught us the importance of letting go, dialogue, and negotiation long before any rules were applied. Above all, it taught us to see people not as “cases” or potential clients, but first and foremost as human beings, each with an immense history, culture, and inner strength.

Developing a nonjudgmental approach rooted in intuition

Fresh out of college (one with a degree in social work, the other in criminology) and armed with the theoretical knowledge we’d acquired, it was the field that became our training ground. With few points of reference at the starting line, we had to develop a keen sense of empathy, deep dedication, and genuine intuition in our work. We had to learn to adapt and to see the person in front of us in all their vulnerability.

Back in the south, inspired by this extraordinary experience, we continued to build on our knowledge through various training programs and a range of roles at different organizations.

Today, it is all of this life experience—shaped by the same humility we gained in the North—that defines our practice. A warm, nonjudgmental approach, where each person is received exactly as they are. This is what we require of every professional who wants to join our organization! 

We are proud of our mission in this project: to provide expert services that are accessible to the people of Quebec, in the absence of reasonable and sustainable access to our healthcare system.