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ARVIAT
There's nothing like being linked to a prestigious award to further whet one's appetite for success.

Two members of Iglulik's Artcirq Inuit circus troupe were in Arviat this past week to work with cultural performers such as elder Elizabeth Nibgoarsi and culture performance manager Lois Suluk-Locke, back. - photo courtesy of Joshua Pearlman

The Arviat Community Ecotourism (ACE) initiative has been named one of three finalist for the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) National Cultural Tourism Award.

ACE was created to develop an internationally competitive and unique wildlife viewing and Inuit cultural experience, maximizing local involvement, employment and control, while maintaining local culture and tradition.

The Arviat program is up against the Celtic Colours International Festival in Sydney, N.S., and the Royal Canadian Pacific project in Calgary.

The winners will be announced in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 20.

Mike Robbins of the Ontario-based Tourism Company has worked with ACE since its launch about three-and-one-half-years ago.

Robbins said the national tourism awards are the Canadian industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards.

He said it's exciting to have ACE recognized as one of the top new cultural tourism products in Canada.

"There's a lot of heightened awareness already created in the tourism industry with ACE being short-listed for this award," said Robbins.

"TIAC is truly representative of the whole tourism industry, including all the major and smaller players in every province and territory across this country.

"Everybody is aware of the short list.

"We hope to send Arviat tourism co-ordinator Olivia Tagalik and culture performance manager Lois Suluk-Locke to represent ACE."

Robbins said the entire tourism industry will be represented at the awards.

He said a number of slides will be shown during the event to encapsulate what each finalist has to offer.

"We're in the process of selecting some of the most high-impact slides we have for that purpose.

"If ACE were to win its category, it will receive national media coverage going beyond the tourism industry.

"This is very, very significant, in terms of recognition for the hard work we've done in Arviat and the potential that exists in Nunavut."

Tagalik said she was surprised and a little shocked when she received the news of ACE's placement as a finalist.

She said it's a great honour just to be nominated for such an award.

"Knowing we're a finalist is just unreal," said Tagalik.

"This adds a lot of credibility to what we're doing here, and goes to show what a community can accomplish when it comes together to work towards something.

"There's nothing like this program out there right now, and it's a great thing for the community."

Tagalik said the cultural performers are a big part of the ACE initiative.

She said they're included in almost everything ACE does in Arviat.

"It's such a unique thing, what people get to see when they come here, and our cultural performers play a pretty big role in all this.

"Having Lois (Suluk-Locke) be able to come to the gala with me would be great, because she's a very big part of what's going on here."

Robbins said ACE will jump to a new level of awareness and credibility if it wins in November.

He said everyone has their fingers and toes crossed.

"We're looking for more tour operators to start carrying Arviat and ACE in their catalogues, and market and sell our product.

"Being a finalist will increase the number of operators interested in ACE, and great things are to come if we win."

ACE ran two of its important training programs earlier this month.

Two members of Iglulik's Artcirq (Arctic Circus) were in Arviat to work with cultural performers, and another module in the ACE cooking program was also held.

Robbins said there are four cooking modules planned for this fiscal year.

He said the objective for the fiscal year's end is to have the students capable of handling cooking services and contracts on their own.

"That's a huge step from the cooking perspective.

"We also have a lot of marketing activities we're working on through the winter months, trying to get ACE into more catalogues and being actively sold by tour operators who know the markets.

"We're going to be doing a lot with marketing during the next four months."

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