Inuvik鈥檚 Arts, Crafts and Technology Micro-Manufacturing Centre is re-branded itself to the INNOVATE Centre for Arts, Crafts and Technology.
The name is the only thing that is changing at the local resource, which has been serving Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta since 2017.
鈥淚t鈥檚 taken some time for things to grow organically, but it鈥檚 growing,鈥� said technician Juan Bidegain, who added the staff at INNOVATE are there to help teach the technology to members. 鈥淚鈥檓 good at the technical side of things, but I鈥檓 not so good at the creative.鈥�
Established by way of a partnership between Aurora College, the Gwich鈥檌n Tribal Council and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, with funding from Industry Tourism and Investment, which was then leveraged into a grand from the Canadian 黑料吃瓜网 Economic Development agency and ultimately a $2 million investment from the Natural Sciences and Research Council in 2019.
All that funding has gone a long way, with the centre boasting several pieces of high-end manufacturing equipment for its membership to use. These include laser engravers, vinyl cutters 鈥� capable of cutting moose hide, a silk screener, a serger, sewing machines, a ten-colour embroidery machine, a sublimation printer, high-end photo printers, 3D printers which use a biodegradable and plant-based plastic, a CNC router and fully operational carpentry shop with power sanders and a table saw and a touch screen monitor for drawing digital artwork. It also stocks supplies such as sheets of vinyl, t-shirts and numerous types of merchandise ready for branding.
There also is a job board for members to peruse, in the event someone wants to make an order of a product such as mugs, t-shirts or ceramic tiles.
Serving as both a professional centre for businesses and as a hobby shop, the centre has two corresponding membership types. A commercial membership, which is given priority access to machines and staff, costs $150 a month. A hobbyist membership costs $75.
Commercial membership holders are also able to book out equipment for large jobs, effectively turning the centre into their own workshop.
鈥淩educing your overhead to $150 a month is unheard of,鈥� said Bidegain. 鈥淭his allows a small business to compete with larger companies further south.鈥�
Visit the centre at 68 Veterans Way in Inuvik, NT. It鈥檚 open to members from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The centre is closed from 12 to 1 p.m. on Mondays.
