A planning meeting for the 2018 Inuvik Sunrise Festival turned into a debate on who should be getting work in town.

That discussion was sparked by Tony Devlin SA国际影视传媒� a local photographer, filmmaker and owner of Black Fly Studios SA国际影视传媒� who asked why the town was flying up people from Winnipeg to shoot a video documentary on the festival.

SA国际影视传媒淲e actually put the tender out and then the local producers just didnSA国际影视传媒檛 get selected,SA国际影视传媒� responded Chris Sharpe, marketing and communications officer for the town.

Devlin asked if he approached local producers, to which Sharpe gave the affirmative.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 one,SA国际影视传媒� responded Devlin. SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 get approached.SA国际影视传媒�

Sharpe went on to say that the documentary and DJ party, a new event this year, came as a bundle deal from the same company SA国际影视传媒� Nu Frequency SA国际影视传媒� so the town got a discount on the job.

Asked later where the tender for the DJ party and documentary was distributed, Sharpe referred the question to senior administrative officer Grant Hood. He responded that the situation did not go against the townSA国际影视传媒檚 procurement policy.

Asked again where the tender for the DJ party and documentary was distributed, Hood said that SharpeSA国际影视传媒檚 words were mistaken and the jobs were not tendered.

SA国际影视传媒淲e did get quotes for the documentary portion, however, and the one selected is considerably lower than the others,SA国际影视传媒� stated Hood in an e-mail.

Asked if local producers were contacted about the documentary opportunity, Hood responded, SA国际影视传媒淚 am not sure if (there) were any here that could produce what we were looking for.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檝e got everything here in Inuvik,SA国际影视传媒� said Devlin at the meeting. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 just wondering why weSA国际影视传媒檙e going out of Inuvik for all of this when itSA国际影视传媒檚 supposed to be much more a community event than a tourism event.SA国际影视传媒�

Sharpe said heSA国际影视传媒檚 trying to cover the spectrum, from the events that are being hosted to the companies involved in putting them on and the people attending.

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 think we should just attract people locally,SA国际影视传媒� said Sharpe. SA国际影视传媒淚 think we should attract people nationally. Even when we get companies that are not from Inuvik, theySA国际影视传媒檙e also going to promote to other people to come up to Inuvik. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 more of an everything kind of format. There are some companies being paid locally and some companies being paid nationally. From my observation of the event, it has grown from just a breakfast and fireworks.SA国际影视传媒�

Devlin said itSA国际影视传媒檚 too late this year, but a focus on hiring local should be considered in the future, adding that a lot of southern producers are unprepared for filming in the Arctic. That consideration could go to hiring local DJs and printing the posters locally, he added.

SA国际影视传媒淎s long as ISA国际影视传媒檓 in this position, ISA国际影视传媒檓 going to try to go bigger approach, national and local,SA国际影视传媒� said Sharpe, adding that the concerns were duly noted and moving forward he would contact Devlin directly with regard to filming opportunities in town.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think Inuvik is big timeSA国际影视传媒� People need to know about it. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 my number one concern. However we can grow the community, ISA国际影视传媒檓 down. This is the community thatSA国际影视传媒檚 helping me feed my kids, so letSA国际影视传媒檚 do it.SA国际影视传媒�

Prepare for the fireworks

Always one of the highlights of the sunrise festival, the fireworks for the January event are supposed to be better than ever.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey just got in a brand new shipment of brand new fireworks that are new to Canada, let alone to the Inuvik fireworks show,SA国际影视传媒� said Rick Lindsay. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be cool.SA国际影视传媒�

He described the highlight of the fireworks as two rockets that shoot up parallel to each other and then shoot rockets at each other on the way up, forming a visual ladder.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 as real as it gets,SA国际影视传媒� said Lindsay. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e watched it like 10 times now.SA国际影视传媒�

Another suggestion at the meeting was to bring skates over to the ice village for the public to use on the outdoor rink or circuit.