Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds is helping keep Nunavut students warm this winter by partnering with clothing company Canada Goose.
Together, they’ve donated more than 300 parkas and accompanying Baffin footwear to outfit those at Inuujaq School in Arctic Bay.
“It came to my attention that students were going without adequate winter clothing. Of course, it highlights a larger issue of basic needs going unmet in Canada’s northern communities,” said Reynolds.
The COVID-19 pandemic has halted shipments of winter wear and other necessities the community relies upon for sustenance, in which principal Gregg Durrant corroborated:
“Living in a northern community, access to almost everything is limited, this has been accentuated by the impact of COVID-19.”
The Canadian actor asked Canada Goose affiliates if the company would match him in providing the students with essential winter gear.
“They not only said yes in under 30 seconds but went so far above and beyond matching me. I’m deeply inspired and grateful,” Reynolds said.
“We are so appreciative of the warmth Ryan and Canada Goose have shown our students, their gift will be remembered for years to come,” the school principal said.
"Our mission is to promote the skills, confidence, and cultural pride in our students so they can pursue their dreams, realize their ambitions, become life-long learners, and contribute to their community.”
Canada Goose also announced the expansion of its Resource Centre Program, first founded in 2009, which has committed to providing thousands more repurposed parkas to Arctic communities across the Inuit homeland beginning in November.
The Canada Goose Resource Centre program stopped in Cape Dorset this week. All raw materials were given to members of the Nunavut community. pic.twitter.com/VmYFlQApm5
— Canada Goose (@canadagoose) October 29, 2017
Previously, the program donated more than one million metres of fabric and material to Northern communities for parka-making.
It’s part of the Canadian clothing company’s Sustainable Impact Strategy, which launched in April with the promise of working to divert waste.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss said, "will bring the warmth of Canada Goose to even more communities across the Arctic."
The Inuit have survived since time immemorial crafting clothing from materials found in our environment. But we know that not all families have access to handmade or traditionally made parkas, explained non-profit president Nathan Obed of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
“This initiative will support those in our communities who need it most,” Obed emphasized.
