Inuit Broadcasting Corp. opens new media centre in Iqaluit

The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation unveiled its new state-of-the-art media centre in Iqaluit Wednesday.

Now, Johnny the Lemming has a new home.

After years of fundraising, IBC, which produces original Inuktitut programming, including the long running children's program, Takuginai, featuring the famous lemming, opened its building along Federal Road to the public with a grand opening ceremony.

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The building features a TV studio, audio, translation, editing and animation booths and a climate-controlled archive room.

"I can only say there'll be higher quality and better quality production of Inuit language television or film and this is what this building will offer to all of us," said IBC's vice president, Bernadette Dean.

The centre has raised $7.3 million to date, with a goal of reaching $8.6 million.

The additional money will go towards more equipment and media training.

Ippiksaut Frisen has worked in the animation industry for a few years and hopes the new building will offer more opportunities for people to get involved in media.

"I'm hoping that there will be a lot more interest and a lot more curiosity, and I hope that it will just get bigger and bigger," she said.

The building also provides a chance to keep up with a rapidly changing industry.

"IBC started when our language was a lot stronger," Dean said.

"There's so much more opportunity for Inuit to maintain our language, to promote it, to revitalize it, using mediums like television, film, audio or animation to promote our language, the Inuktitut language."