Kitikmeot Inuit Association Supports Nunavut Media Centre

Kitikmeot Inuit Association President Charlie Evalik presented a $200,000 cheque to Madeleine d’Argencourt, president of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). The money is KIA’s contribution in support of IBC’s Building Campaign for the Nunavut Media Arts Centre – the first full-scale, state-of-the-art, digital audio, video, recording, performance and post production facilities in Nunavut. The new IBC building, which is scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2013, will bring media arts in Nunavut to a new internationally-competitive level of production service and capacity.

“IBC’s Board of Governors truly appreciates the support that KIA has shown to our regional office in Taloyoak over the past fifteen years, and now their foresight in looking ahead to develop Media Arts as a thriving industry in Nunavut’s future,” said d’Argencourt.

KIA’s support comes quickly on the heels of a large cash donation from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, as IBC leads up to the official launch of its formal Building Campaign and website. Other major contributors to the project so far have included CanNor and the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Economic Development and Transportation. Over the next year IBC will be seeking additional corporate, foundation and industry support, as well as a major sponsor interested in naming the building.

IBC has a schematic design for the Centre and a thermosyphon foundation system has been installed at the future location of the facility. The building lot is located on Inuit-owned land in the core of the business and government district of Iqaluit, minutes away from the Legislative Assembly. New drawings show a functional and attractive building that will draw local and territorial freelancers, small to medium production companies, and other broadcasters – both Canadian and offshore – to work in Nunavut.