Gjoa Haven (Aug 04/03) - Carroll Macintyre moved North 15 years ago with Rory, a westhighland white terrier.

The change in scenery has been a good move for both of them.

Carroll Macintyre is the economic development officer in Gjoa Haven. He's travelled the North for 15 years. - photo courtesy of Carroll Macintyre

News/North: So how long have you been in Gjoa Haven?

Carroll Macintyre: I just came to Gjoa Haven the first of June. I have been an economic development officer (EDO) directly for the past four years. I spent the last three as the EDO in Arviat. I'm usually hired on a two-year contract to train Inuit to take over the position but sometimes it takes a while to get the right person. Eventually I train myself out of a job.

N/N: You spent a number of years in the NWT, so when did you decide to come to Nunavut?

CM: I had been in the NWT for about 10 years and worked in Nahanni Butte for seven years. I was working for the Arctic Co-op and my adopted son took over the operation. I returned to Nova Scotia where I had planned to stay. However, that was in mid-winter and my Northern family at that time came down to Nova Scotia to visit me for a few weeks and I got lonesome for the North and next thing you know, I was back with the co-operative, kind of doing a clean up job in Provo Lake for the store there. Once again after that I returned to Nova Scotia figuring that's it this time, but before you know it I was hired by Darren Flynn, who was the SAO in Arviat at the time, for the position of economic development officer. So there I went and made no plans of returning to Nova Scotia on a permanent basis after that.

N/N: So what's this about Rory (Macintyre's westhighland white terrier) writing a book?

CM: It's a great book. I had written several books and always with a pint of black velvet at my elbow. When I came to the North I gave up on the habit. Rory, who also liked a little slosh, quit at the same time. It seems when I came up to the North my writing dried up along with my drinking habit. For several years I'd think about it and try to start something but I couldn't seem to do it. A couple of years ago, I was in bed one night thinking about it and thought why not do something from his perspective. The next day I hit the typewriter and the words just flew onto the pages.

N/N: You haven't written one since though.

CM: I am working on his second edition. I'd love to try a major fiction work, I have some ideas. I am waiting for the 24 hours of darkness because most of my writing is done at night. It's a good thing to pass the time in the winter.

N/N: How many changes in the North have you seen over these last 15 years?

CM: I think the exciting things about the whole North of course is the exploration. There are the diamond mines in the NWT, and that will work its way into Nunavut. We know there is some progress already. There's of course the gold. The gold is there it's just a matter of the price being high enough to make it a viable resource and it is coming. Tourism is the big item. It's really underdeveloped. It's coming, too. These things take time. We have such a climate that you can't rush at things, you have to take your time and look things over and make sure you don't make mistakes because making mistakes in the North is expansive.

N/N: So that is what you are doing as the EDO?

CM: Somewhat. The secret, too, in the North is that we don't have walk-by traffic in the communities. Walk-by traffic is very important. When I mean walk-by I mean you have more than just your own people in your community to draw funds from for business.

You have to be careful and make sure the business is directed to and can survive in the community by itself. That's why it makes life as an EDO difficult. But you've got the touristy items you can work on such as outfitters and do projects in that area that can benefit the local people. But we have to get a better working relationship with the Nunavut government. Each community is different. You can't make a blanket coverage of the communities in Nunavut because of the differences.

Here again that will come but it better start coming soon.

N/N: So what keeps you in the North?

CM: The funny thing is I've been told I'm more native than most of the natives. That's the greatest compliment they can give me. I love the land, I love the people and I love working with the people. I figure it's a treatment they well deserve and that they should be looked after. They were sort of put aside for many, many years.

You have to live here really to appreciate the country. It's beautiful in its own way.

I love the winters. You can always put it on but it's hard to take it off. We have a great climate. Even when I go back to Nova Scotia I go back in the spring or the fall to avoid the heat of the summer.