Community Spotlight

Nunavut Youth Lead Cleanup of Remote Shoreline

A group of determined teens organized a massive litter-removal project, inspiring their community and drawing national praise.

Published April 03, 2025 | By Marcel Deschamps

Dozens of youth from a small Nunavut hamlet took matters into their own hands this month, organizing a shoreline cleanup that removed over 800 kilograms of marine debris.

The initiative, dubbed ‘Our Bay, Our Pride,’ was started by students at the local high school who were concerned about the buildup of plastic and abandoned fishing gear.

After seeking support from community elders and the town council, the teens coordinated a weekend-long event involving more than 100 residents.

Volunteers used boats, sleds, and even snowmobiles to haul garbage bags and larger debris from rugged coastal stretches to a central collection point.

Many of the items collected had drifted in from distant waters—rope, buoys, and plastic crates—while some were remnants from older shipping activity in the region.

Youth organizer Leah Itigak called the effort 'a way of protecting both tradition and tomorrow.' The group plans to continue seasonal cleanups and build an educational exhibit on the impact of marine litter.

Local leaders praised the campaign as a model of youth-led stewardship and civic pride, with several MLAs issuing formal commendations in the legislature.

The cleanup also caught the attention of national media, and a CBC film crew documented the effort for an upcoming segment on Arctic environmental resilience.

Elders involved in the project said they were moved to tears. 'This is the future we always hoped to see,' said one participant. 'Young people taking the land into their hearts.'

The collected waste is now being cataloged for recycling and study, in partnership with a southern university researching oceanic plastic drift.