Nunavut teen chasing hockey dreams through new funding program

Growing up in Rankin Inlet, hockey player Charlotte Siksik didn’t have the same opportunities that players living in the south do.

But she does now.

Siksik, 17, is chasing her dream of playing university-level hockey through her enrolment at the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg.

She’s doing that thanks to a program run by Makigiaqta, an organization within Nunavut Tunngaavik Inc. that focuses on providing Inuit training and employment opportunities.

“I just want to be the best hockey player I can be and get the best experience of training and development,” said Siksik.

The program, called Quvvariarniq, aims to help Nunavummiut get the training they need to accomplish their career goals.

Charlotte Siksik, from Rankin Inlet, plays on the under-18 prep team at the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg. (Photo courtesy of Rink Hockey Academy)

Initially, it was intended as a mentorship and internship program, said Makigiaqta project officer Aasiva Nakashuk.

But during the program’s development, Makigiaqta found Quvvariarniq needed to include opportunities for high school students to pursue their career goals.

“There’s a lot of gaps to be filled,” Nakashuk said of providing Nunavut Inuit career-building opportunities.

Makigiaqta wanted to create a program that would take down those barriers. As a result, Quvvariarniq provides funding for Nunavut Inuit to pursue a variety of career paths.

One example, Nakashuk said, is a student learning to pilot a plane getting funding to complete their training hours. Another could be electricians funded to finish their hours when hamlets or the Nunavut Arctic College are unable to provide those finances.

High school-aged Nunavummiut who are high-level hockey players like Siksik are also included.

In Rankin Inlet, Siksik said she didn’t have the opportunity to compete consistently with hockey players of her skill level outside her community due to travel costs.

It’s a problem athletes in Nunavut face far more often than those living in the south.

“We make the most of what we have,” said Siksik, who is in Grade 12.

But with the help of Quvvariarniq, Siksik has been able to attend a school with the hockey academy in Winnipeg where she is a forward on the under-18 prep team.

That has helped push her toward her goal of playing university-level hockey.

“It’s been going really well,” said Siksik, who has been there for about a month. “I have good classes and teachers.”

After university, she hopes for a career either in youth-focused psychology or as a wildlife veterinarian.

Most high-level hockey players in Nunavut must go south to get high-level training and exposure to scouts, but the cost can be too high, Nakashuk said.

She said Quvvariarniq helps Nunavummiut like Siksik by helping cover the cost of things such as transportation, tuition and accommodation.

Nakashuk emphasized Quvvariarniq can extend to any career goal, including music school or law school.

“Basically, if other funding organizations cannot cover the cost of what you’re pursuing, Makigiaqta may be able to fund that,” she said.

While students occasionally get homesick, the response from them as well as the parents has been overwhelmingly positive, Nakashuk said.

“Honestly, my favourite part of the job is to check in with our sponsors and see how they’re doing,” she said.

One of those grateful parents is Siksik’s mother, Hannah Siksik, who said the program is helping her daughter pursue her dreams and goals.

“Getting this level of support has meant a lot to us,” she said.