Flipping through the file photos
Nunatsiaq News dives into its photo archives during newspaper’s 50th anniversary
A woman speaks to a group of boys inside a room wallpapered with newspaper pages, in this undated file photo. (Nunatsiaq News file photo)
Who doesn’t have shoeboxes full of photographs that were looked at once, then tucked them away for safekeeping and only pulled out on special occasions?
Newspapers often treat their pictures the same way — use them at the moment to illustrate a news story, then file them away.
As Nunatsiaq News celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, our staff spent time looking through some of the old photos the paper has collected over the years. Some are black-and-white, some are colour. Published and unpublished. Mostly random. Some have names and dates scribbled on the back, but many don’t.
Throughout the anniversary year, this paper will share some of those photos, including whatever is known about them. In many cases, that’s not very much.
We’re inviting readers to help us identify who is in the picture and tell us what’s happening. If you recognize yourself or someone you know, let us know. Send an email to editors@nunatsiaq.com and we’ll add that information to the photo.
1. Helen Maksagak was sworn in as Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories on March 3, 1992, by Justice M. M. de Weerdt. In the background are Joe Ohokannoak of Cambridge Bay and Bill Stephens of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. (File photo courtesy of Culture and Communications, Government of the N.W.T.)
I used to print off the paper and then deliver it around to people in town when Rose Jackson owned the paper and ran it out of her apartment in the 8 storey hi rise apartment building in 1970-71. What fun. I know that the Library had a PILE of the early day issue of Nunatsiaq News when I worked there part-time and as a volunteer from 1990-95 but I was dismayed when I called there last year to find out the person was not familiar with what I was asking about….I hope that they were not tossed. Important early history of the young town of “Frobisher Bay”, at the time.
They were probably archived and sent to storage in culture and heritages offices in Gatineau.
Photo of a woman speaking to boys in a wallpapered room…
The gentleman in the center is wearing a pair of LA Gear Regulator Pumps. These sneakers came out in 1991.
This might be my fav Nunatsiaq comment ever. Great eye!
“An unidentified woman lights a qulliq in this undated picture.” I’m not sure her name, but this photo was taken at the signing of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement in Iqaluit on May 25, 1993. If you look up a video clip of the event you will see her.
The late elder’s name is Malaya Papatsie. The young man on far left is David Fox – I don’t recognize the others.
It looks like it is in a qammaq, at least like the the inside of the qammait (sorry, 2, so less than 3, not sure if it would be qammaq then) in Pangnirtung.
This was at the qarmaq either in Apex or, if it was at Joamie School here in Iqaluit.
Mrs. Leah Atagoyuk lit a qulliq.
The 2 couples in the picture are Harry and Martha Kilabuk with her pinning a flower on his atigi, and next to them are Malaya Papatsie and her husband Josie Papatsie of Iqaluit.
The man with the mustache and cap is Jack Anawak. The young man standing in the qarmaq may be Mr. Kootoo. The other pic of the skidoos in front of Nakasuk School is during Toonik Tyme. The odd building is the research centre in the background is in Igloolik. Only one I recognize is on the far right, Mr. George Qulaut.
Well….I must ashamedly claim the photo of the truck hanging off the bridge just below the high school on ring road. Taken in the fall of 1989 or spring of 1990. In my own defense, only one tire was off the road when I stopped. The tow truck that tried to pull me out slipped sideways on the icy road, and pulled the truck around until both wheels were off the road. You can see the tow cable in this photo attached to the back of the truck and keeping it from falling all the way down. The truck was rescued by a loader and my parents found out when they saw this photo in Nunatsiaq News while flying back to Iqaluit a few days later.
Good of you to come clean young man. I can’t wait till they resurrect the story of your high school prom fundraiser…
Please do share, provided it is appropriate of course.