Happy Nunavut Day! Here are some ways to celebrate virtually
Organizers are following chief public health officer's instructions to avoid large gatherings
Nunavut Day will look different this year as the COVID-19 pandemic shifts the typically outdoor event to virtual activities.
It's also the first time Nunavut Day will be celebrated as an official statutory holiday. It marks when Parliament passed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act on July 9, 1993.
"Nunavut Day is the biggest day of celebration in the territory," said Aluki Kotierk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, in a news release. "As Inuit, we love outdoor community activities ... However, the health and safety of everyone is more important."
Organizers are following instructions from the chief public health officer to avoid large gatherings, the news release added.
Instead, celebrations will centre around activities on social media and television.
Here are some events you can look forward to:
- Watch Nunavut Day activities live on Nunavut Tunngavik's Facebook page here.
- The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is offering a full day of Inuktut programming on Thursday.
- Northwestel is running a #HelloNunavutContest all day Thursday until midnight. You can enter by downloading this photo frame on Facebook designed by a 13-year-old Kugluktuk artist, and tagging #HelloNunavutContest in your post. Only Nunavut residents can win the prize, which is a Microsoft laptop. For more information, click here.
- Nunavut Tunngavik is giving away two pairs of tickets to anywhere Canadian North flies. The Airline Ticket Draw will happen Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Winners will be announced on Nunavut Tunngavik's Facebook page.
- The Home Cook Challenge is a territory-wide online cooking contest with prizes. Contestants were asked to make their favourite recipes, take a photo and send it in by last Sunday. Northern chefs from Iqaluit to Cambridge Bay will judge and announce winners on Thursday.
- The TikTok Video Contest invited people to create a short video promoting Inuit culture. The deadline was last Sunday and winners will be announced on Thursday.
