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AROUND NUNAVUT: Four Corners wins the cover spot, a science fundraiser for Baffin youth, and Apex students get their own rink

This week, the art of Inuk artist Dayle Kubluitok wins her the Nunavut directory cover, the Qikiqtaalummi Science Fair Association asks for help, and Apex youth petition Iqaluit city council for a rink of their own.

 

Four Corners graces new phone directory

Iqaluit

The 2019/2020 Northwestel directory features the work of Inuk artist Dayle Kubluitok, who won the cover art contest the telephone company stages each year.

Dayle Kubluitok, second from left, won the Northwestel directory cover-art contest this year with the digital art piece Four Corners. The work, unveiled as the $3000 winner at the Black Heart Cafe in Iqaluit March 8, graces the cover of the telephone company's 2019/20 phone directory for Nunavut. She is seen her with Northwestel employee Gabby Morrill, left, Minister of Education David Joanasie and Northwestel employee Carmen Kootoo.
photo courtesy Michel Albert

"I basically do all my art on my phone. At the time, I was waiting for a cab at the bank, so I sketched out the landscape on my phone. The northern lights were out, and I just started off with the lamppost because I thought it looked really neat. Later that night I decided to finish it while hanging out with my friends," stated Kubluitok, who is originally from Rankin Inlet.

The young artist attended art school at Centennial College in Toronto but returned to Nunavut due to the high cost of education, stated a news release. Kubluitok, who now lives in the capital, is seeing her art career take off – she's receiving commission requests – and she just starting her new job as a graphic designer at Nunavut Arctic College.

"After I posted Four Corners to Facebook, it kinda blew up. Then when I found I won, I was overwhelmed. I feel really confident now and I've been doing more and more art. I started getting requests for graphic design and illustration and I did some back covers of magazines. It's all been hard work, but I’m happy where I’m at right now," said Kubluitok.

Kubluitok also takes home $3000.

"With more than 30 years worth of beautiful Northern artwork adorning the covers of Northwestel directories, it is hard to stand out in the crowd, but Four Corners does," stated Northwestel president Curtis Shaw.

"Dayle's digital rendering of this well-known Iqaluit location shows how the next generation of Northern artists can use new technology to effectively capture our unique northern landscape. Northwestel is proud to share Dayle's artwork with everyone in Nunavut and to help support her development as a professional artist," .

 

Team revives Qikiqtaaluk regional science fair, and needs help

Qikiqtaaluk

The Baffin region has been without a science fair for 20 years, but a team has formed and is now raising funds to hold one this year.

Ten thousand dollars needs to be raised to send three regional finalist students from grades 7 to 12, and chaperones, to the national Canada-Wide Science Fair scheduled for May 11 to 17 in Fredericton, NB.

"Our main goal for this year is to get three students to the Canada-Wide Science Fair. The path of least resistance, and most economical since we have no money, is by hosting a virtual fair," said Inuksuk High School teacher Steve Penney, who with Iqaluit's Tara Vandeveer and Rick Armstrong and Clyde River's Wayne Robinson and Rohan Hollingsworth now make up the Qikiqtaalummi Science Fair Association.

"All schools in the Qikiqtaaluk Region are invited to participate. We won't know exact numbers of participants until all submissions are received on March 22. Each school, Grade 7 to 12, is permitted to submit three science fair projects to the regional fair."

Students and teachers interested in submitting projects should contact the science-fair team at qsfnunavut@gmail.com

For those wanting to donate to make this opportunity possible for science-minded youth of the region, donations are being accepted at the group's Go Fund Me page.

Penney says $10,000 is the minimum amount the team needs to send participants to the national fair.

"If we raise anything more than that, we may be able to get team jackets or save for next year to build some stability in our association," he said.

"If we end up getting major funding contributions, we may be able to start hosting a physical regional fair in the future whereby all participants travel to the host community to spend a weekend at a science fair event where they will not only compete in the science fair but also participate in a series of workshops for learning about science through hands-on experiences. This is the model currently used in the Kivalliq region via Kivalliq Science Educators Community."

 

Apex youth win over Iqaluit city council -- and it's skate time

Apex

Thirteen Apex youth appeared before the City of Iqaluit's recreation committee March 11 to request an outdoor rink of their own, and on March 12 council approved their request.

Apex youth, who attend grades 3, 4 and 5 at Nanook School, requested an outdoor skating rink like the one recently created in front of Nakasuk School in the centre of Iqaluit. Iqaluit city council approved their request March 12.
photo courtesy of Kerry McCluskey

"I was happy for town kids when I saw the rink at Nakasuk School, but I wanted to see if Apex kids could get the same recreation opportunities. We asked, they listened, we're getting a rink. We're happy," said mom Kerry McCluskey.

The youth took turn reading from a letter they'd drafted, outlining their rationale.

"We want to skate in Apex," they said in a letter, signed by each of them.

"It would be fun to walk to the playground to go skating. It would give us something to do when we are bored. If we had a skating rink and could go skating we would not get into trouble."

As part of their argument, the youth suggested they'd be able to go skating with the school since the school wouldn't have to foot the bill for a school bus to take them to Iqaluit.

They also suggested they would be healthier for it, their skating skills would improve, and for those who don't know how to skate the rink would offer the opportunity to learn.

"In Apex we have no recreation facilities," they stated. "We think it is unfair that you built one in Iqaluit and we don't have one. We would like this to be changed and you to build us an outdoor rink."

Coun. Kyle Sheppard says the kids made a well-prepared and passionate presentation to the recreation committee, which then recommended to council that the rink be built in Apex.

"Given the lack of nearby recreation opportunities and limited cost involved, council approved the creation of a rink in Apex this year. It's always encouraging seeing kids get involved in this process," Sheppard said.