SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A committee gathering information for Parliament on how to encourage economic development in the North held a public meeting last week in Yellowknife to hear recommendations from residents.

Presentations were made by various groups to the 12-member Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Northern Affairs on Thursday, Nov. 19.

The committee is composed of several MPs from all over Canada, including Larry Bagnell, MP for Yukon, and Todd Russell, MP for Labrador and vice-chair. The team hopes to gather information on how to encourage economic development in the North and make recommendations to Parliament, expected to happen in March, 2010.

Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, who sits on the committee when it deals with Northern issues, said a major concern among Northerners is ensuring the aboriginal voice is respected by the federal government.

"This is the first time a report will come out of an effort like this," said Bevington.

The study came as a result of discussions in the House of Commons on how to encourage Northern development.

"It is increasingly apparent that advancing the economic prosperity of the North and of Northerners is of enormous significance for the future of Canada as a whole," said Bruce Stanton, MP for Simcoe North and chair of the committee.

"We want to play a part in ensuring that the needs of the North and of Northerners in the area of economic development are given a full hearing."

The NWT Mine Training Society's director, Ted Blondin, pointed out there is a lack of business support services for small communities and a lack of networking opportunities.

He said small businesses don't get the opportunity to make partnerships to take advantage of and as a result, don't have the opportunity to grow.

One presentation came from NWT Federation of Labour president Mary Lou Cherwaty, who presented her concerns for the lack of social infrastructure, such as housing.

She said at the meeting some families, especially in remote areas, often don't have adequate housing or the homes are too small to accommodate all family members.

Cherwaty said in a 2008 survey by the Yellowknife Homeless Coalition, 34 per cent of households in Yellowknife spent 30 per cent of their income on housing, which she said is too much.

Cherwaty also mentioned that a 2004 NWT community needs survey showed 29 per cent of homes needed some kind of repairs.

She said she wants the federal government to establish national publicly-funded housing units.

"A lack of proper housing has so many detrimental spin offs," Cherwaty said.

"If housing improved, health would improve, which would mean individuals, especially youth, can learn better and have more education and therefore get into positions of higher paying jobs."

Meetings were also held in Whitehorse last week and the team was in Iqaluit Nov. 23-25 for a similar session.