3 Nunavut projects among finalists for 2025 Arctic Inspiration Prize top award

Five finalists will compete for the 2025 Arctic Inspiration Prize top award of $1 million, including three projects located in Nunavut.

The Arctic Inspiration Prize describes itself as the largest annual prize in Canada, providing funding to innovative project ideas from across the North.

In addition to the main $1-million prize, it also awards four prizes of up to $500,000 each and up to seven youth prizes of up to $100,000 each for organizations working in areas like climate protection, food security, cultural and revitalization, and youth empowerment.

The finalists were announced Tuesday in a news release.

The Nunavut-based finalists for the $1-million prize include Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit, nominated by Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada. The centre works to ensure people have secure access to healthy food by hiring Inuit hunters to provide country food.

SeDNA, nominated by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., trains community members in collecting genetic material of fish in the Kivalliq Region to ensure fish inventory levels in culturally significant lakes. That ensures Indigenous voices and expertise are included in environmental monitoring in Nunavut.

Another finalist, the Ujjiqsuiniq search and rescue readiness training program, was nominated by Ilitaqsiniq in Rankin Inlet. Its work spans across Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. It offers training for young people so they’re better equipped to travel and work on the land, with a goal of reducing the number of search-and-rescue cases involving missing youth.

The other $1-million category finalists include the Bibia Nàtsät Ku health-care service project from Yukon and Tłı̨chǫ Worlds, a virtual reality hub for cultural preservation form the Northwest Territories.

The winners for all categories will be announced May 13 at a ceremony in Ottawa.