Ten innovative teams from across Canada’s North were awarded a share of over $3.2 million for their groundbreaking projects during a celebration held May 7 in Whitehorse, Yukon, in partnership with the Arctic Indigenous Investment Conference. 

“For twelve years now, the Arctic Inspiration Prize has been celebrating excellence of and for the North. Once again this year, I am astounded by the incredible innovation and problem-solving that is happening in the North,” said Wally Schumann, Chair of the Arctic Inspiration Prize Charitable Trust.

“The AIP is the largest annual prize in Canada, almost as big as the dreams and resourcefulness of Northerners. These 10 winning projects are poised to transform their communities for the better. We can’t wait to see it.”

The $1 million prize went to the Inotsiavik Centre. Inotsiavik, meaning “a place to live well” in Nunatsiavummiutut, aims to help revitalize Inuttitut culture. Its goal is to open a not-for-profit cultural centre in Hopedale, Labrador, that serves as a welcoming, safe space to host a range of vital cultural programming to strengthen skills, confidence, and pride in Inuit identity. 

“Winning this award is life-changing, not only for us as a team, but for all Nunatsiavummiut. It has been the endless support of our communities that has gotten us here, and we are beyond thrilled that the Arctic Inspiration Prize has recognized this dream and awarded Inotsiavik the $1,000,000 prize,” said the Inotsiavik team.

As well as the $1 million prize, five prizes were awarded in the AIP category that awards up to $500,000 to each laureate team, and four prizes were awarded in the Youth category, worth up to $100,000 each.

Thay K’i Anint’i was awarded $499,000 to offer recovery and wellness programming to support individual and community health recovery programs built around Indigenous culture and western practices. This two-eyed recovery and wellbeing centre would expand to bring aftercare models throughout Yukon with the goal of supporting recovery models for all. 

Learning, Harvesting, Earning was awarded $425,000. In response to food insecurity in Nunavut, this project would teach boys and young men traditional skills of fishing for Arctic Char in winter and summer settings. The goal is to equip the young participants with the expertise needed for sustainable fishing practices, empowering young men with meaningful employment opportunities and the opportunity to contribute to their communities. 

Indigenizing Work with Traditional Knowledge and Support Project was awarded $112,000 to address the challenges faced by Indigenous employees at Aurora Heat, a sustainable fur business in Fort Smith, NWT. Through ongoing collaboration and a comprehensive understanding of the mental health crisis in the North, this project will address the root causes of employment instability, food insecurity, and lack of cultural connections.

Hebron and Nutak Reunions was awarded $298,000 to provide an opportunity for able-bodied evictees to return to their homeland together at Hebron and Nutak/Okkak Bay in the summer of 2024. These reunions will provide a healing opportunity for evictees and those participants who may be impacted by the eviction from Hebron and Nutak. 

Therapeutic Farm School program was awarded $500,000. Designed for K-12 students with disabilities in the Yukon, particularly those with neurodiversities such as Autism, ADHD, and other cognitive delays, the program will encompass learning through experiential means, on the land from a First Nations perspective, with a combination of supports.

In the Youth category, four projects demonstrated their outstanding commitment to making a difference in their communities.

Investing in the Futures of Inuit Women was awarded $98,000. This project will provide employment and skill building opportunities for young Inuit mothers and women. The skills learned will provide tools to increase their earning income potential and increase their confidence. The participants will be encouraged to form a collective and explore the opportunity of a social enterprise that could bring innovation at a community level. 

The Yukon Young People’s Theatre Festival was awarded $99,000 to hold a 3-day Yukon Youth Theatre Festival at the Yukon Arts Centre in early 2025. The goal is to provide those young people with an opportunity to experience the benefit of the performing arts, and the positive impacts they have on health and well-being. 

L.O.V.E. Inuktut was awarded $100,000 to revitalize and safeguard 11 dialects of Inuktut through the creation of beginner-level immersion-style videos. This project will concurrently work on an innovative app that integrates language-learning videos into daily life. The app will link to various Inuktut resources, ensuring a comprehensive learning journey and contributing to the sustained growth of Inuktut language and culture for years to come. 

Youth Coalition 4 Food Security North was awarded $100,000 to support, engage and connect youth in food initiatives in their regions across northern Canada. The goal is to get youth engaged with local food production and empower them to share knowledge and experiences, creating a network of resources by youth, for youth, to support engagement in food dialogues and initiatives in the North.

To learn more, visit the Arctic Inspiration Prize website.