CanNor Supports Arts and Culture in Yukon and the Northwest Territories

CanNor-10-022

Dawson City, Yukon (June 29, 2010) -An investment from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) will enable two projects to take place that will bring Dene programming to a broader audience and expand cultural tourism in the North.

The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) today announced CanNor will provide $73,000 that will be disbursed to purchase high-definition equipment for the Native Communications Society in Yellowknife and to hire labour to assist in the planning and environmental assessment phase of the Dawson City Music Festival’s “Raise the Roof” project.

“CanNor is proud to support projects that will help create jobs and support cultural tourism in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and help southern Canadians learn more about the Dene people and their culture,” said Minister Strahl, who is also Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor of Métis and Non-Status Indians.

“The Dawson City Music Festival is an internationally-acclaimed event that draws performers and visitors from around the world to the Yukon,” said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister Responsible for the North and Minister of Health. “The Native Communications Society’s partnership with APTN brings the Dene language, traditions and culture to southern audiences, and has the potential to expand its scope.”

"This timely support gives us an amazing opportunity to expand our facilities and increase the scope of our year-round programming”, said Tim Jones, the producer of the 2010 Dawson City Music Festival. “The Dawson City Music Festival Association appreciates CanNor's support in our efforts to develop the Dawson City tourist and cultural economies."

"The north is a potential hot bed for high definition productions and as a result of the SINED investment in NCS, the Native Communications Society of the NWT is now at the forefront of the industry in the NWT," says Les L. Carpenter, CEO of NCS. "We can now create projects which will meet or exceed the demands of today's digital medium. As an aboriginal organization, NCS now has the rare opportunity to compete and collaborate with others."

CanNor will provide the following investments:

• $19,000 to the Dawson City Music Festival to plan the renovation and expansion of their installations. The renovations arising from the planning phase are expected to further raise DCMF’s capacity to play its key role in the cultural tourism industry of Dawson City. 

• $54,000 to the Native Communications Society to purchase high-definition production equipment to create a new program to be broadcast by APTN about the NWT Dene people in the format used by the majority of television broadcasters. 

These investments are made possible through CanNor’s Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) program, which focuses on long-term economic growth, economic diversification and capacity building in all three territories.

SINED is one of several economic development programs within CanNor, which is responsible for coordinating and delivering Canada’s economic development across the North, and for related policy development, research and advocacy. 

 

Backgrounder - CanNor Supports Arts and Culture in Yukon and the Northwest Territories

 

Please visit these web sites to learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan  and Canada's Northern Strategy.

For further information please contact:

Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl
Michelle Yao
Press Secretary
(819) 997-0002

Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications Advisor
(867) 667-3849

2010 Dawson City Music Festival
Tim Jones
Producer
(867) 993-5584

Native Communications Society
Les L. Carpenter
Chief Executive Officer
(867) 920-2277 ext 333