Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Sanikiluaq (May 06/01) - Three students will get a chance to sharpen their business skills in Montreal this month.

Sarah Novalinga, Jobie Meeko and Johnassie Amitook, finalists in a competition sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada, will compete in the E-Spirit Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurial Contest.

Nuiyak school principal John Jamieson says he had high hopes for the business plan the group was developing for an artwork and framing initiative now underway.

He says murals and carvings depicting various Inuit cultural and seasonal activities were created by local artists and framed using materials purchased in the South. The pieces are attracting much attention at galleries and were quite successful at the 2002 Arctic Winter Games in Iqaluit.

The students will now take the project a step further by strutting their stuff at a trade show in Montreal, May 21 to 24.

The contest is run by BDBC as an attempt to develop the entrepreneurial skills of youth in aboriginal communities.

"The kids have been working on a series of modules (for the contest)," says Jamieson. "We lead them through all the different stages of developing a business plan," he said.

After being short-listed, the Sanikiluaq group must present their business plan along with a 10-minute video and PowerPoint presentation.

They also have to attend the trade show and make another presentation. The winner of the event will be announced in Montreal on the final evening of the competition.