How closely connected are Canada’s big cities with the North ? Where is there potential for new connections ? Can we help the environment at the same time ?

Upcycling: bringing unused materials back to life. In this article‘s case, the term upcycling is being applied to Canada’s Inuit. A people strongly rooted in Canada’s North, the Inuit have long used furs throughout the year to keep themselves warm. What isn’t so well-known is the amount of money it is costing them to keep making their traditional clothing from fur. Most buy the skins from the store where a small sealskin can cost 140$ ! Despite this high price, the local women spend their money in order to keep themselves and their families warm when it hits lower than -40 *C.

But wait ! Can’t we help ? There are numerous people who have been hiding their luxurious fur coats in the back of their closet since PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) popularity rose in the ’80s. Rather than leaving these unused furs in the big cities, why not give them to the North to help the Inuit ? A new project called Furs to the Arctic is doing just that. Based out of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, the project plans to collect old and unused fur coats from big cities and distribute them to local sewing circles in the North.

Although this project is still in its early stages, it sounds like a great idea. Old furs are being recycled, people from Canada’s more Southern cities can feel like they are somehow connected to the North, young Inuit can be exposed to their people’s traditional practices through the continued making of fur garments… But how many people have actually kept their old fur coats ? And how will the project advertise to Southern Canadians what their goal is ?

Lastly, I wonder what PETA would have to say about this…