Agnico Eagle donates $5M to support breakfast, literacy and arts programs
Executive fills in details of pledge mining company made in 2020
Agnico Eagle vice-president Martin Plante announces the details of his company’s $5-million contribution to three community organizations during the Sept. 28 closing gala of the Kivalliq Trade Show in Rankin Inlet. (Photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle Mines Nunavut)
Agnico Eagle is donating $2.5 million to a children’s breakfast program and $2.25 million to Nunavut’s literacy council, a move the mining company called an investment in the territory’s youth.
“We firmly believe that to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy in Nunavut, we must support and invest for the next generation,” said Martin Plante, the mining company’s Nunavut vice-president, on Sept. 28.
Plante announced the details for what the company calls its Inunnguiniq project — Inuktitut for “creating a whole human being” — during the closing gala of last week’s Kivalliq Trade Show.
The donation is part of a $5-million pledge the company’s then-CEO Sean Boyd made in February 2020 at the Northern Lights trade show and conference in Ottawa.
Agnico Eagle consulted with communities about how to move ahead with the donation in the “most meaningful way possible,” a company statement said.
It also includes $250,000 for Susan Aglukark’s Arctic Rose Foundation,
The money focuses on three specific areas — health and well-being through the promotion of active lifestyles and traditional activities, food security, and financial support for Inuit-led non-profits to promote a “long-lasting positive impact” in communities.
Plante was joined at the announcement by representatives from the three organizations set to receive the money.
The biggest portion goes to the Breakfast Club of Canada. The money will help provide Kivalliq and Kitikmeot school children breakfast for at least three years.
Ilitaqsiniq is Nunavut’s literacy council. It promotes education, literacy and training informed by traditional knowledge and culture.
The Arctic Rose Foundation provides learning opportunities for Inuit and Indigenous youth to grow through culturally-infused art and education.
Over the next decade, 10,000 youth are expected to enter the workforce in Nunavut.
“The Inunnguiniq project and related partnerships reflect Agnico Eagle’s commitment to Nunavut’s youth,” Plante said in a statement.
“Children hold the potential to shape Nunavut and Canada’s future, and we are committed to supporting their dreams and aspirations.”
Time for Baffinland to step up for our young people.
The floor is now open, let the whining begin.
More like it’s time for our young people to step up and stop expecting hand outs. This mentality of expecting stuff from other people/companies needs to stop! Nothing is free in this world.
How many millions, or is it billions, does your RIO get from Baffinland?
Inform yourself before trashing others. Baffinland stepped up many years ago and has been supporting a breakfast program for a long time. It is Agnico that has finally stepped up. Good on both companies.
To Agnico Eagle – Thank you
Thank you, Agnico Eagle! Your donation is going to help a lot of young people in Nunavut! Much appreciated!
There really need to look to the lands claim agreement but if we are try to ask them they just give me the nunavut land claim agreement but i was asking for agreement to the work in the mine should be. And after all the appointment and stuff and they say i cannot go. I wait for the appointment for nothing . I can use the $10,000 payment to CERB that they didn’t care about.
Donations are like prepayments to something else 🙁
“a move the mining company called an investment in the territory’s youth”