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NUNAVUT
Nunavut has a new licence plate and it features a night-time scene with green Northern lights, white stars, a polar bear and an inuksuk, thanks to the creativity of Iqaluit's Ron Froese.

Iqaluit resident Ron Froese stands beside the new licence plate he designed for the territory. It features a night-time scene with green Northern lights, a polar bear, stars and an inuksuk. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

Froese's submission to a licence plate design contest, launched last August, was chosen as the winning entry from the 200 submissions received from 123 Nunavummiut. The winning design features 25 white stars, one for each community in Nunavut. Each region – the Kitikmeot, the Kivalliq and the Qikiqtaaluk – are represented by three streams of green Northern lights.

The new licence plate was called as distinct as Nunavut itself by Peter Taptuna, minister of economic development and transportation at the unveiling of the new plate in Iqaluit on March 6.

"Everyone involved in the selection process was truly impressed with the creativity of Nunavut people," he said. "It is quite well-known it was a difficult decision."

The images on the new licence plate reflect the beauty of Nunavut, he also stated in a press release.

Froese himself said he will renew his licence plate when it expires in May, but come July, when the new plate starts rolling out, he will request the new one.

"It's going to be a memento to keep and cherish forever," he said.

The Iqaluit resident, who works for court services at the Department of Justice, said participating in the contest was a great way to give back to Nunavut. He added his 21-year-old daughter helped him getting the colours and graphics just right.

"I noticed we've always been adopting everything from the Northwest Territories and thought 'What an excellent opportunity to come up with something made in Nunavut that is unique to us,'" he said. "It was the only one I thought was worthy of submission. I had some other ideas but I didn't like them so I submitted the one."

Froese, who arrived in Iqaluit from Smithers, B.C., some two years ago, said he was totally surprised he won, learning about it a few moments before the official announcement.

The new licence plate will replace the polar bear-shaped licence plate, which Nunavut has been using since separation in 1999. The NWT owns the copyright to the design, but Government of the Northwest Territories press secretary Shaun Dean said there was never a formal licensing agreement in place; it was an issue left over from division, and there has been an understanding between the two territories for years that Nunavut was looking at changing its design.

Some 123 people submitted a total of 200 design to the contest, ranging from an animal to an iglu, caribou, fish and muskox, said Taptuna. A committee narrowed the field to four finalists – Froese, Tat Ma, Natalie Strijak and Jonathan Cruz – with cabinet choosing the winning entry. Froese received $1,500 while the other three finalists each received $500.

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