Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 05/99) - The NWT's manufacturing sector, which saw three years of decline in the mid-1990s, experienced a small increase last year.

The value of goods manufactured in the NWT in 1998 was about $21 million ($18.4 million through October, according to the NWT Bureau of Statistics).

In 1997, manufacturing in the North was only an $18.9-million industry.

Well below the $33.7-million level in 1996 and less than half the peak of $53.7 million set in 1995.

The government of the Northwest Territories's Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development Department considers manufacturing a small part of the economy, but one that has the potential to grow rapidly.

There are about 100 businesses and about 400 people involved in manufacturing in the NWT.

The biggest boost to manufacturing will likely be in the diamond-cutting and polishing.

As well as diamonds, other areas of manufacturing in the NWT include audio recordings, banners, benches, bottling, cabinetry, canvas bags, clothing, coin-operated Internet machines, core-sample boxes, doors and film and video production.

Other manufacturing in the North includes floor joists, furniture, goldsmithing, lumber, monuments, Northern foods, oxygen-acetylene-nitrogen, pallets, planters, portfolios, power poles, printing, publishing radio antennas, rubber stamping and signs.

Screen printing, tables, tents, teepees and tarps, toboggan wrappers, trusses, upholstery, wall systems and windows are still more items manufactured in the North.

And the GNWT recently appointed a film commissioner to help promote the North as a place to make movies.

RWED defines Northern-manufactured goods as manufactured products that have been made in the NWT from raw or processed materials and converted by hand, machinery (or a combination of the two) into a commercial product. The product has a landed cost of no higher than 25 per cent greater than the lowest available price for a comparable product.