Arviat youth pick up national business award

Nunavut’s only movie theatre might be in Iqaluit, but not for long.

Three high school students in Arviat just picked up a national business award for their plan to host movie screenings at the local John Arnalukjuak high school.

If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, all the proceeds from the screenings will go to local programs that support food security in the Kivalliq community.

On May 22, the Arviat Cinema Group — made up of students Justin Kuksuk, Justin Suluk and Kyle Schaubroeck — received the gold medal for the Business Development Bank of Canada’s business development competition.

BDC’s annual competition is open to Aboriginal students in Canada from grades 10 to 12.

Along with the gold medal, Kuksuk, Suluk and Schaubroeck netted a $4,000 cash prize and Best Environmental or Community Impact Achievement Award for their project.

MLA for Arviat South, Joe Savikataaq, congratulated the group at the legislative assembly May 27.

“It seems as if the government could take lessons from these young students, who demonstrate what can be achieved through creativity, determination, and hard work,” Savikataaq told the assembly.

“The Arviat Cinema Group reminds us that all the solutions to our territory’s biggest problems sometimes require small but significant steps within and through our own communities,” he said.

There is no word yet when the group will start to host screenings.