Three Nunavut residents honoured with new Polar Medal

Recipients named to the Governor General’s new Polar Medal were honoured in Whitehorse July 8. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA)

Three Nunavut residents are recipients of the inaugural Polar Medal, handed out July 8 by the Governor General of Canada to honour extraordinary contributions to the North.

Among them is Dorothy Tootoo, an officer responsible for the cadet program in her hometown of Rankin Inlet.

The Gjoa Haven elder and historian, Louie Kamookak and the Government of Nunavut’s director of heritage, Doug Stenton, were also part of a group of recipients honoured for their work towards the discovery of Sir John Frankin’s HMS Erebus in September 2014.

“The recipients honoured with the Polar Medal have helped us to better connect with Canada’s North and have inspired us through their diverse contributions and efforts,” said Governor General David Johnston in a July 8 release.

“They have made this integral part of our country stronger and have reinforced the resilience of its communities.”

Tootoo works a manager at the local Nunavut Arctic College student residence, where she’s considered a counsellor to youth.

Tootoo also set up a mentoring program in Rankin Inlet with the support of local elders.

Kamookak and Stenton share their Polar Medal with Ryan Harris, a senior underwater archeologist with Parks Canada and John Geiger, the CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society — all of whom had important roles in the 2014 Victoria Strait expedition that eventually led to the HMS Erebus wreck.

Geiger’s honour has since attracted criticism from observers close to the expedition, who allege that his role in the Franklin discovery has been exaggerated and distorted.

The 10 recipients of the Polar Medal include Laval university researcher Michel Allard for his work exploring the impact of melting permafrost on infrastructure in Nunavik and Nunavut.

The new Polar Medal replaces the Governor General’s Northern Medal, created in 2005 by then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

Past recipients of that medal include Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Zacharias Kunuk, Mary Simon and Tagak Curley.