Nunavik-Quebec to become permanent member of Arctic Winter Games committee

It's been a long time coming, but Team Nunavik-Quebec is set to be a permanent member of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee (AWGIC).

"When I heard the news…we were stoked," said Hilda Snowball, chairperson of the Kativik Regional Government.

"We have been lobbying them, the international committee, for many years, for Nunavik to become a full member ... It was a milestone for us, as Nunavik-Quebec."

Previously, Team Nunavik-Quebec has been a guest member of the AWGIC since the team returned to participating in the circumpolar event, in 2000.

Its last time competing before that was at the 1986 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. That year, the team finished in fifth out of five teams, winning just one bronze ulu. That was won by Sam Gordon in the junior men's kneel jump, with a height of 97.155 cm.

AWGIC president John Rodda says the inclusion of Team Nunavik-Quebec as a permanent member is a good thing for the games. The change will happen on January 1, 2025.

"They have been pressing; [they] showed their seriousness," said Rodda.

Rodda said the team's interests continue to grow.

"I know they would like to expand opportunities for their northern youth," he said. "This is a new starting point for them and a new starting point for the Arctic Winter Games as a whole."

Future host to the games

According to Rodda, permanent members of the AWGIC are the authorities for the games because they have government representatives on the committee.

The Kativik Regional Government will now have to choose two people to represent Team Nunavik-Quebec on the committee. Rodda says one must be a government representative and the other must represent the private sector.

Team Sápmi now remains as the only guest member of the committee after Yamal was suspended following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Rodda says Sápmi have not expressed interest in becoming a permanent member of the committee, but have expressed interest in hosting a future edition of the games.

Now that it is a permanent member, Team Nunavik-Quebec has an obligation to host the games, according to Rodda.

But given that the hosts of the games have been decided until 2032, it will be at least a decade before the event heads to Nunavik. Snowball said her team will be working on how best to host the games.

"We need to plan out on how it would be best having about 13,000 people in Nunavik, with 14 communities that are spanned out within the region," she said.

"Within the coming years, we will need to figure out infrastructure as well and where it would be best to host within our region."

Team Nunavik-Quebec will officially become a permanent member of the AWGIC on January 1, 2025.