Nunavut seeks new license plate design

Updated Aug. 4, 2:37 p.m.

Nunavut’s iconic polar bear license plate is getting a makeover.

Nunavummiut are invited to submit their designs to replace the polar bear-shaped plate used across the territory for the past 12 years and, before that, under the Northwest Territories.

In a Government of Nunavut news release Aug. 3, economic development and transportation minister Peter Taptuna called the design an “opportunity for someone to become famous.”

But the contest winner will also become known as the person who designed Nunavut’s first original license plate.

That’s because in 1999, when Nunavut was created, the territory adopted the polar bear license plate from the Northwest Territories.

“Explore Canada’s Arctic,” which was inherited from the NWT, is the phrase still displayed on all Nunavut license plates.

The Government of the NWT copyrighted the plate’s shape after division, said John Hawkins, Nunavut’s director of transportation policy and planning.

While Nunavut was licensed to use the plate design, the agreement stated Nunavut could not modify the design in any way, so flipping the polar bear around to face the other direction won’t work, he told reporters.

“It is an iconic plate,” Hawkins said. “It’s a beautiful plate, but it belongs to the NWT.”

The design also has to meet law enforcement standards for visibility, so the GN will run the new design by police and bylaw officials to make sure it’s acceptable.

“I encourage you to be creative,” Taptuna said in the release. “Our polar bear license plate was very popular because of its shape. This new license plate could take on a unique form as well.”

In March of 2010, while speaking in the Nunavut legislature, Taptuna first said Nunavut planned to update its classic polar bear license plates with Inuktitut syllabics and Inuinnaqtun.

The shape of the license plate would remain unchanged, Taptuna said at the time.

He also suggested that Inuktitut syllabics and possibly Inuinnaqtun should be all new license plates.

Hawkins said there will only be room for the word “Nunavut” on the plate, in syllabics and roman orthography, but not for any slogan.

The competition to design the new license place for Nunavut is open to residents of Nunavut, who have until Aug. 26 to submit their ideas.

A committee made up of GN employees and selected artists will judge all submissions.

They will select the top four designs, which will be sent to the Nunavut cabinet members for final judging.

Each of the four finalists will receive $500 for their design.

If one of the designs is selected as Nunavut’s new licence plate, that designer will receive an additional $1,000.

Designs can be sent by email to licenceplate@gov.nu.ca or delivered to the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, P.O. Box 1000, Station. 1500, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0.

Visit www.edt.gov.nu.ca for the rules, application form and template to use to create your design.