MEDIA ADVISORY - 2022 Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureates to be Announced at Award Ceremony on February 8

Up to $3 million will be awarded to teams from across the North to support innovative projects in their communities

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 2, 2023 /CNW/ - The 11th Annual Arctic Inspiration Prize Awards Ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. on February 8, 2023 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, and will feature some of the North's most inspiring leaders: the Honourable Eva Aariak, Commissioner of Nunavut; the Honourable P.J. Akeeagok, Premier of Nunavut; the Honourable Ranj Pillai, Premier of Yukon; Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; Aluki Kotierk, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated; Pita Aatami President of Makivik Corporation; Duane Smith, Chair & CEO of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and many, many more! 

Up to $3 million is up for grabs for teams from Canada's Arctic to support innovative projects in their communities. The awards ceremony is being held in partnership with the Northern Lights Business and Cultural Showcase.

PHOTO AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

WHAT:

• Announcement and presentation of up to $3 million to 2022 Laureates of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, including top prize of $1 million to one team.
• Hosted by Laakkuluk Wiliamson Bathory and Andrea Brazeau, this year's ceremony marks a return to live and in-person programming and promises to be an ambitious celebration of northern music, art and excellence. Performances by Vision Quest, Beatrice Deer, and Terry Uyarak under the masterful artistic direction of Leela Gilday.
• Pictures of the performers and hosts can be found here.

WHEN: 
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 
Doors open at 5 p.m.

WHERE: 
Shaw Centre – Canada Hall 1
55 Colonel By Drive 
Ottawa

Eight projects, across three categories, have been shortlisted as finalists for the annual AIP including two projects that are in the running for the top single prize of $1 million:

• Kuugalak: Kuugalak aims to build a highly customized language campus in Cambridge Bay, combining indoor and outdoor cultural activity areas, community-designed cultural production equipment, and experimental landscaping bridging green energy research with the growing of local plant species for climate adaptation, nutrition, and cultural use. It will be a site for free public programming that draws from deep reserves of Inuit and local knowledge to foster innovation. 
• Pilimmaksaijuliriniq Project: Ilitaqsiniq's Pilimmaksaijuliriniq Project is an Inuit-designed, Inuit-led initiative developed in response to the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Inuusivut Anninaqtuq Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy, and the Alianait Inuit Mental Wellness Action Plan. Ilitaqsiniq's Pilimmaksaijuliriniq Project proposes building additional mental health competencies and Inuit wellness traditional teachings into programs that will support the delivery of community-based programming across Inuit Nunangat.

Additional prizes will be awarded in the AIP category (up to $500,000) and Youth category (up to $100,000). Read more about the other finalists.

About the Arctic Inspiration Prize

As the largest annual prize in Canada, the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) inspires, enables and celebrates the achievements of the people of the North. The AIP recognizes diverse teams and enables their innovative projects in the fields of education, health and wellbeing, culture, arts and language, science and traditional knowledge, climate change and the economy. Each year, the AIP awards: one $1 million prize, up to four prizes of up to $500,000 each, and up to seven youth prizes of up to $100,000 each. The AIP is owned and governed by the northern-led AIP Charitable Trust and is a community of Indigenous organizations, governments, industry, philanthropy, and many other partners from the North and South.

SOURCE Arctic Inspiration Prize