Agnico Eagle unveils new Inunnguiniq project and announces a partnership with Breakfast Club of Canada to provide all Kivalliq and Kitikmeot school children breakfast for three years

On Wednesday September 27, 2023, at the Kivalliq Trade Show’s closing gala, Agnico Eagle’s Nunavut Vice-President Martin Plante unveiled the company’s new Inunnguiniq project, which will create partnerships with three significant community organizations and partners amounting to a total of $5 million dollars.

Under the Inunnguiniq Project, Plante announced a partnership with the Breakfast Club of Canada to provide all school children in the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot region of Nunavut with breakfast for a minimum of three years.

“The heart of Inunnguiniq lies with our youth,” said Martin Plante at the Kivalliq Trade Show’s closing gala. “10,000 youth are set to come of age in the next decade. We firmly believe that to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy in Nunavut, we must support and invest for the next generation.

Since Agnico Eagle’s Executive Chairman of the board, Sean Boyd, announced a $5 million pledge towards mine training and mental health programs in Nunavut in February 2020, the Company has consulted with communities and local partners to better understand how to move forward with the donation in the most meaningful way possible.

Through these consultations, which included conversations with the Kivalliq Elders Advisory Committee that allowed for the development of the name itself—Inunnguiniq, meaning “creating a whole human being—it was determined that the pledge would be allocated towards three specific areas:

• Towards the promotion of an active lifestyle through the support of traditional activities, including on the land;
• Food security;
• And support for Inuit-led non-profits that can have an important and long-lasting positive impact in the communities.

As announced at the gala, Agnico Eagle has now developed three partnerships through Inunnguiniq to create a long-term positive impact in Nunavut:

• A $250,000 investment to the Arctic Rose Foundation.
• A $2.25 million investment to Ilitaqsiniq;
• A $2.5 million investment to Breakfast Club of Canada;

“We would like to thank everyone in the communities, individuals, organizations, and partners who generously and genuinely shared their time and knowledge to help us get a better understanding of the needs and challenges that let to Inunnguiniq,” said Plante.

“Your support has allowed us to build a project that, we hope, will directly and positively impact Nunavut for generations to come.”

About the name “Inunnguiniq”

The name Inunnguiniq, which means “creating a whole human being”, was developed in collaboration with the Kivalliq Elders Advisory Committee to ensure it would resonate with Nunavut communities.

The name and collaborative approach behind it embody Agnico Eagle’s vision for holistic development and well-being. The program was built and designed with a community-centric approach intended to forge innovative partnerships to establish and maintain impactful, long-term programs based on communities’ real and critical needs.

Read more about the three organizations and partnerships: 

Arctic Rose Foundation

The first partnership established through Inunnquiniq is a $250,000 funding to the Arctic Rose Foundation to help tackle the significant challenges encountered by Nunavut youth.

Founded by Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark, the purpose of the Arctic Rose Foundation is to support Northern Inuit, First Nations and Metis youth, promote emotional and mental wellness, and connect them with their culture through intentional and adaptable arts-based programming.

Agnico Eagle’s support for the Arctic Rose Foundation is rooted in a deep understanding of the challenges which face Northern Indigenous youth and a shared commitment to fostering their resilience, empowerment, and cultural connection through innovative programs and mentorship.

Ilitaqsiniq

The second partnership allocates $2.25 million to Agnico Eagle’s long-term partners, Ilitaqsiniq.

Based in Nunavut, Ilitaqsiniq aims to reconnect Inuit to the traditions and knowledge of our culture while looking towards the future. Ilitaqsiniq programs weave together culture-based learning with language, literacy and essential skills.

For decades, they’ve catalyzed positive change among Inuit, benefitting numerous people through their tailored programs and promotion of on the land activities and lifestyle.

This contribution aims to recognize their exceptional contribution to Nunavut’s development through their many different programs and will support their project of building safe space infrastructures to support community members in their development journey.

Ilitaqsiniq possesses the knowledge, experience, and passion to enhance community well-being.

Breakfast Club of Canada

 The third Inunnguiniq partnership is a $2.5 million funding to Breakfast Club of Canada to implement breakfast programs in all the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot communities of Nunavut.

This funding will support food security by ensuring all elementary school students of the Kivalliq and the Kitikmeot communities have access to breakfast on every school day, for a minimum of 3 years.

With 10,000 youth set to come of age in the next decade, Agnico Eagle recognizes the importance of nurturing the next generation in Nunavut. The Company believes these young individuals hold the potential to shape Nunavut and Canada’s future and is committed to supporting their dreams and aspirations.

This donation is intended to address a critical challenge—food security for Nunavut’s youth. Ensuring access to breakfast will help them focus on personal growth and education.

Consult Breakfast Club of Canada’s press release for more details: https://bit.ly/3ZzR0Fe