Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (Aug 29/01) - Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet are the latest Kivalliq communities to benefit from partnerships between the federal and Nunavut governments.

Federal Industry Minister Brian Tobin joined Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk in Rankin last week to open Nunavut's third Canada-Nunavut Business Service Centre (CNBSC).

The two ministers also signed an agreement to establish Internet access sites in seven Nunavut communities, including Baker.

Industry Canada and Nunavut are each contributing $130,000 towards establishing the project.

Akesuk said Nunavummiut understand the importance of the new communications technology due to the great distances between Nunavut communities and the rest of Canada.

"I greatly respect the leadership the minister (Tobin) has shown in supporting the work of the national broadband task force to ensure all Canadians are included in the Internet revolution," said Akesuk.

"We must all have the same opportunity to participate in the new information-based economy. Our future, especially our young people, depends on it."

The access sites will be established under the Community Access Program and be free, publicly accessible sites to anyone wishing to access the Internet.

Bureaucratic complexity

In announcing the opening of the service centre in Rankin, Tobin said the biggest complaint from those trying to access government programs or policies is the number of different agencies they have to deal with.

It's a problem that often becomes more complex in the North with the lack of government offices in every region.

"With a CNBSC, you can literally access all federal and Nunavut government programs in one place," said Tobin.

"It takes a lot of the running-around out of the business of dealing with government by presenting a one-stop shop."

Tobin said he supports Nunavut's approach to securing a long-term economic development agreement with the federal government and he identified tourism as a key to economic development in the territory.

"There's many issues you could discuss when it comes to economic development in Nunavut that aren't going to happen.

"They're nothing more than pie-in-the-sky items. But when you talk tourism, that's real when the proper marketing is done," he said.

"There is a tremendous opportunity here to market the people, land and culture."