In February 2025, The Energy InSites team, comprising of CIER and The LEAP Group staff, travelled north of the Arctic Circle to Inuvik, NT, to host an Energy Literacy workshop organized by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, with the focus of building awareness and capacity around energy.

Labelled the “Train the Trainer Energy Literacy Workshop”, one goal of the workshop was to train future leaders and experts to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to host independent workshops and engagements in their own communities.

The workshop participants were from various parts of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, comprising six communities: Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok. The participants also included members of the Inuvialuit Community Research Administrators and the Regional Youth Advisory Group.

The Energy Literacy workshop featured educational material and group activities on topics such as the history of energy in remote communities, cultural values around energy, energy technologies, community energy planning, and energy decision making. One session in the workshop provided details on how to organize and facilitate a workshop, which included a group activity of drafting a hypothetical workshop agenda.

The activities provided an opportunity for the facilitators and participants to share knowledge and ideas about energy and emissions relating to their communities. The information shared by the participants was instrumental in expanding our understanding of energy in a northern context.

In addition to the workshop, the team had the opportunity to visit North America’s northernmost traffic light in downtown Inuvik and, in recognition for crossing the Arctic Circle, the members of the project team were presented with official certificates inducting them into the Order of Arctic Adventurers by the Mayor of Inuvik, Peter Clarkson.

However, the Energy InSites team does not have to wait long to experience the north again, as they are headed back to Inuvik at the end of March to host a second workshop with a new group of participants.

Keep an eye on CIER’s social media for upcoming Energy InSites announcements. Several other Indigenous communities have joined the program, and the team plans to publish an educational resource related to building energy conservation, efficiency and emissions soon.

For more information on the Energy InSites program, visit our webpage.