Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 02/98) - The chances of running into a fellow Yellowknifer in downtown Edmonton are usually pretty good.

But, this past week, because of the Meet the North Build a Vision Conference, the chances went way, way up.

Some 155 Yellowknifers descended on the North's most significant nieghbour.

One out of every five people at the event, held at Economic Development Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre, was from Yellowknife.

In all, 812 people attended the Meet the North, Build a Vision, a conference designed to focus on Northern issues like economic development, transportation, tourism and culture. Meet the North included a trade show, an exposition of Northern entertainment and panel discussions on issues effecting the NWT, Yukon and Northern Alberta.

It was also a chance for hundreds of Edmontonians to get a taste of the North.

Elaine Kammerer, who teaches at Edmonton's Micheal A. Kostek school, saw the trade show as a opportunity to gather information on the North.

"I teach a section in my class on Nunavut," she said. This conference is a great way to pick up material on the Arctic which can be taken back to the classroom, she said.

Kammerer even bought a hide scraper made of caribou bone.

Another Edmontonian to take in the show was Uli Mast. Mast has lived in Inuvik and is in the food processing business.

"I believe the North's food sector has a lot of potential," he said.

"Alaska is as isolated as the NWT, and they've got a food sector operating. They're doing a huge business," he said. He believes the NWT is not capitalizing on its mystique of its unique foods. When it comes to Alaskan food products, the "sizzle is it's made in Alaska," he said.

"Next time (if there is one) we'll get a double booth," Mayor Dave Lovell said.

"First off, I'd like to compliment the Fort Smith group," he said. The Fort Smith contingent's booth was among the most impressive at the trade show.

The community of Fort Smith, Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, Wood Buffalo National Park, Taiga Tours, Northwestern Air Lease, Circumpolar Promotions and others chartered a plane and flew down to Edmonton to promote their wares as a team.

"We were first to register for this conference," Fort Smith Chamber president Sean Mageean said.

Mayor Lovell also said "It may seem odd to go south to meet the North, but I've made more contacts here in two days than in the past two months in Yellowknife. All the key players are here."

Among those key players are the North's MLAs.

On the integrity of the North's political landscape in the wake of Morin resigning over conflict of interest complaints, Kakfwi pointed to the North's government by concensus style of politics. He suggested though the leadership will change, political decisions will continue to be made by concensus, not by party politics.

Kakfwi also said that tourism, one of the themes of the conference, remains an untapped Northern resource.

"In my view, tourism is one of the friendliest sectors of the economy to engage in," he said.

Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith, instrumental in the creation of Meet the North, Build a Vision, said tourism is one of the conference's key themes. Others included economic development, challenges to affordable access, employment and the changing political landscape.

"We are aiming for results. I believe in the tremendous potential of the North," he said. Smith also said he has seen the steady stream of capital flowing back and forth between Edmonton and the North.

As well as a final conference report, Smith said his office will issue two follow-up reports, one six months from now and another a year down the road on the outcome of the event.