8 Arctic Inspiration Prize finalists announced

Finalists for the Arctic Inspiration Prize have been announced.

Several of the projects selected this year in the running for cash prizes are from Nunavut.

They include Kuugalak project, a language campus in Cambridge Bay, and Ilitaqsiniq's Pilimmaksaijuliriniq, a project focusing on mental health and wellness across Inuit Nunangat, according to a news release from the Arctic Inspiration Prize on Friday. 

There's also an N.W.T. project that works with youth to produce a virtual exhibition of rare artifacts and stories, and a project for a traditional camp based in the Yukon, among the other finalists this year.

There are three categories and up to 10 winners total each year. The categories range from the $1-million prize, another  worth up to $500,000, and the youth projects, which can win up to $100,000. The organization's website says the awards fund projects that are "by the North, for the North," and address the immediate needs of northerners and their communities.

The winners will be announced live in Ottawa in February as part of the Northern Lights Business and Cultural Showcase.

Wally Schumann, the chair for the Arctic Inspiration Prize Trust, said this year will be the first time the award will be presented in person since before the pandemic.

"What we're all excited about this year, is we're back in live, face-to-face doing this," he said, adding that virtual events worked well but don't compare to in-person celebrations.

February's showcase in Ottawa "is going to be exciting for all of them," he said.

"Because no one knows the winner until [it's] announced, just like the Academy Award. So it's pretty exciting."

Various organizations and businesses across Canada's Arctic, and few southern philanthropists, donated throughout the year to give away approximately $3 million in prize winnings.

"As we move forward and our young people keep bringing their ideas forward to help bring solutions to what they believe is needed in their communities, it's a great thing," Schumann said.

Last year, more than $3 million was awarded to eight organizations across the North as part of the 10th annual Arctic Inspiration Prize. 

The full list of the 2022 finalists are as follows:

The $1-million category:

• Kuugalak, led by Emily Angulalik (Nunavut).
• Pilimmaksaijuliriniq Project led by Ilitaqsiniq (Nunavut).

Up to $500,000 category:

• Lessons from Our Elders, led by Sharon Snowshoe (N.W.T.).
• Shäwthän Näzhi: Recovery Support Program, led by Diane Strand (Yukon).
• Atanniuvik, led by Aleashia Echalook (Nunavik).

Youth category, up to $100,000:

• N''tsaÜw Chu' Kedts'edán Kù Traditional Camp, led by Olive Morland (Yukon).
• Northern Games Youth Collaboration "Inuvialuit Piuyausiq," led by Tamara Voudrach (Inuvialuit Settlement Region).
• Nunavut Youth Creative Collective, led by Macintosh Pavia (Nunavut).

A national selection committee is set go over the finalists and choose the winners.