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AROUND NUNAVUT: Books, eggs and art

Nunavut authors will greet their public in two communities, in Sanikiluaq hens are laying eggs, and nominations are open for a $10,000 arts award.

 

Meet the Nunavut authors writing great books

Iqaluit/Rankin Inlet

Inhabit Media is adding another stop to their annual authors' event this year.

photo courtesy Inhabit Media
The public can mix and mingle with Nunavut authors and buy their books Feb. 2 in Iqaluit and Feb. 9 in Rankin Inlet.

Along with the usual event at the Frobisher Inn in Iqaluit, co-hosted by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and scheduled for Feb. 2, the made-in-Nunavut publishing company will also host a similar event in Rankin Inlet Feb. 9.

In Iqaluit, featured authors include Susan Aglukark, Germaine Arnaktauyok, Aviaq Johnston, Celina Kalluk, Solomon Awa, Kenn Harper, Nadia Sammurtok, Nadia Mike, Ceporah Mearns, Jeremy Debicki, Kerry McCluskey, Laura Deal, Margaret Lawrence and Janelle Kennedy.

In Rankin Inlet, the public can mix and mingle with authors, as well, including Suzie Napayok-Short, Germaine Arnaktauyok and Susan Aglukark. That even takes place at the Kivalliq Regional Visitor Centre.

"This is Inhabit Media's first ever author event in Rankin. It's perfectly timed to help celebrate Inuktitut Language Month and we're really excited," said Erin Dunlop.
"It's also a fantastic boost to the author and artist's profiles to share their work outside of Iqaluit, especially at the Kivalliq Regional Visitor Centre, a brand new space that opened this June. Our audience is truly the entirety of the North, so the more we share our books throughout the whole region, the better."
Books will be available for purchase, and it's the perfect opportunity to have them signed by their authors.

 

Hens produce eggs every day

Sanikiluaq

photo courtesy Paatsaali School
Seven hens are laying four to five eggs a day at Paatsaali School in Sanikiluaq, and production is expected to increase when 80 more chickens arrive in the community in a few months.

In 2018, Paatsaali School in Sanikiluaq went into the chicken business, hoping to supply fresh eggs for the school and daycare, as well as elders.

The school then hoped to sell any excess eggs at a great discount to the community.

"We have seven chickens. They are all egg layers. We started with eight, one died of unknown reasons," said principal Tim Hoyt.

"We get approximately four or five eggs per day, usually five, sometimes as low as three."

Hoyt says students on kitchen duty collect the eggs and feed and water the chickens daily.

"I do it on the weekends," he said.

The chickens live outside in an insulated coop built by the school's  construction class.

photo courtesy Paatsaali School
The insulated chicken coop at Paatsaali School in Sanikiluaq fits seven laying chickens and is heated by one light bulb.

"The coop has one light bulb and no other sources of heat. We don't have a thermometer out there, but it's hot enough that my glasses fog up and I have to take them off when I go in the coop. The chickens seem very happy even when it's -35 outside. I'm not anticipating any problems when it gets colder over the next couple of months," said Hoyt.

Currently, the eggs are mostly eaten at the school, but over Christmas holidays, Hoyt gave eggs to anybody who wanted them.

The school is working on a new chicken coop.

"(It's) almost completed and we're hoping to bring another 80 chickens in March or April," said Hoyt.

The project is entirely funded by the local daycare, which did apply for funding from the Nunavut Food Security Coalition but was declined.

"The daycare has spent less than $25,000 on the project. Most of the costs have been for construction materials. The costs for the chickens themselves and the food they eat is remarkably cheap," said Hoyt.

"Local food production of this type is exciting for the students and our community."

 

Nominate an artist!

Nunavut

Nunavut Commissioner Nellie Kusugak announced Jan. 14 that nominations are open for the Nunavut Commissioner's Arts Award.

The award is a cash prize of $10,000 and a certificate, which are to be presented to a visual artist who has made a major contribution to the arts.

Nominees must be Nunavut residents and/or Nunavut Inuit who have been working in the arts for more than two years. Nominations must receive the support of three individuals or organizations.

All nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee, and nominees will be judged on their artistic achievements and the quality and impact of their work.

Nomination guidelines and nomination forms are available from the commissioner's office.

The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28.