Big party set to mark 150-year anniversary
Feds give $738,000 to celebrate Canada's birthday, promising next 150 years will be 'way better' for indigenous people
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, October 24, 2016
IQALUIT
With 74 days until the launch of national celebrations for Canada's 150th birthday, Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly announced $738,000 in funding Oct. 19 for Nunavummiut to participate.
Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly visits Iqaluit's Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum Sept. 19 to announce $738,000 in funding to help Nunavummiut celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. - Michele LeTourneau/NNSL photo |
"We know the past 150 years were less than perfect with indigenous people of this land," Joly said.
"But we want to make sure the next 150 years are way better."
Projects funded under Canada 150 follow four themes: youth, environment, inclusion and reconciliation with indigenous people.
Three Nunavut organizations - the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association (NACA) and Iqaluit Action Lab - will receive funding.
Museum curator Gyu Oh will use $288,000 in funding to create Voices from Nunavut, a video-installation project made from individual videos by youth from each of the territory's 25 communities.
The resulting exhibit, made up of 25 screens, will travel the territory and the nation.
"(It) will deepen understanding of Nunavut and broaden everyone's concept of what it means to be Canadian in 2017," said Oh, who stressed the media often features bad news from Nunavut and that's not the whole picture.
NACA will be working with communities to develop projects and events with their piece of the pie - $350,000 - enabling communities to stage celebrations of their own making.
But the official launch of Canada 150, which takes place Dec. 31, will see Nunavut's capital city throw a New Year's Eve party the likes of which has never before been seen.
Those festivities, rather than only being located in the capital region, will take place in 19 centres.
"Iqaluit is one of them," said Joly.
Iqaluit Action Lab, a recently formed organization, is to receive $100,000 for family-centred activities on New Year's Eve and beyond.
As director Robyn Campbell told Iqaluit city council Oct. 11, Action Lab will partner with territorial music festival Alianait, the Road to Nowhere Pyrotechnics Society, the City of Iqaluit and others to provide an unforgettable event Dec. 31.
"That will include some concerts that are family-friendly during the day," Campbell told council.
"We will have some cultural activities and exciting hands-on projects for families. As well as a larger fireworks display than we've ever had before."
The Action Lab plans to stage other Canada 150 events going into 2017.
Joly noted there is still funding available for more projects on a smaller scale - from $10,000 to $15,000 - and that the deadline for those proposals has yet to be announced.
The Government of Canada budgeted $210 million for the Canada 150 Fund.
