Artists needed: NIC opens contest for Nunavut flag design

DWANE WILKIN

­The search is on for a new Nunavut territorial flag.

Polar bears, narwhals, northern lights, inukshuks­all are well-known symbols of Canada’s Arctic. But selecting a single design to stand as an emblem for the whole territory is not so easy as it may seem.

So the Nunavut Implementation Commission has announced a contest to come up with just the right design, open to all Canadian citizens except NIC commissioners and staff.

“The creation of Nunavut is not limited to residents. This is part of Canada’s historical development, as well,” said Meeka Kilabuk, the NIC commissioner who has been overseeing the work of the symbols committee.

Kilabuk encouraged Canadian artists everywhere to submit their best work­what isn’t chosen to grace the flag could end up in other heraldic materials.

“The contest will help us develop the symbols most relevant to the people,” she said.

There are a few rules to follow, as laid out by Canada’s chief herald. Designs should be simple­just two-colors, accented with tones. Since the flag will be called on to represent the whole of Nunavut and her residents, the winning entry should make reference to dominant aspects of life in the eastern Arctic.

To be eligible, drawings must be submitted on white, 8 1/2-by-11 inch paper or larger.

Nature, spirituality, Inuit traditions and regional history are just some of the possible themes, Kilabuk said.

Entries will be judged first by a committee of representatives from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. elders, Nunavut youth and the Chief Herald of Canada. They will narrow the submissions to five finalists.

The winning entry will be chosen from among these finalists by the Nunvaut Implementation Commission and the selection committee. It will then be forwarded to Canada’s governor general for his consideration.

A prize for the winning design has yet to be determined.

Deadline for submissions is July 31, 1997. All entries should be sent to the Symbols Committee, Nunavut Implementation Commission, Box 1109, Iqaluit, NT, X0A 0H0.

A separate contest for the design of Nunavut’s coat-of-arms will be held at a later date.