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Cautiously optimistic about fibre link Residents quiz panel on jobs and environmental concernsT. Shawn Giilck Northern News Services Published Thursday, March 14, 2013
The organizers said they were pleased with the turnout – a group of about 25 – and the questions presented during the meeting at Ingamo Hall. Peter Clarkson, a representative of the GNWT, said most such sessions attract "maybe two or three people," so it was a pleasant surprise to see the group gathered at the hall. The project, which has an estimated cost of between $60- and $70-million, would see a fibre-optic communications cable laid 1,115 km between Checkpoint and Inuvik and an additional 140 km on to Tuktoyaktuk when that permanent highway opens. The cable would have at least 24 fibres, and the GNWT has expressed an interest in installing a 48-fibre system. One pair of the fibres would have enough capacity to transmit all of the data, telephone, cellular and Internet traffic currently produced in the NWT, said Stuart Salter of Salter Global Consulting Inc., the company that did the feasibility study on the project. The project team met with Inuvik council members and staff during a private lunch session earlier in the day. Except for Melinda Gillis, no town official was on hand for the evening session. Many of the questions revolved around the potential economic and environmental impact the project might generate for the region. "What number of jobs are we talking?" asked Inuvik businessman Dave Kaufman bluntly. The presenters were slightly uncertain about pinning themselves down to precise numbers, since much was uncertain. Salter, who is one of the lead consultants on the project, and Clarkson estimated five or less jobs could be created immediately at the Inuvik Satellite Station and the Western Arctic Office (WAO) of the NWT Centre for Geomatics, which is to be established when the link is installed and operational. That station would collect data from various satellite dishes on site, including some that are currently in operation. A Government of Canada dish is to be constructed in the near future, Salter said. That station "has the potential to become one of the largest receiving stations in the world," the backgrounder for the project stated. While that's an exciting opportunity, it's not a labour-intensive one. However, Clarkson said he hoped the station would lead to more jobs than perhaps first envisioned with an emphasis on processing the data here in Inuvik. "We don't want to be a site that just downloads data and then sends it off," he said. Most opportunities for economic benefits would come from spin-off effects, Salter said. There might be considerable short-term work available as well during the construction phase. Maintenance on the link should be minimal as well, Salter said. On average, a fibre link fails about once every five years. The link is scheduled to be operational by 2016 if the project proceeds. It will require at least two winters of work to install, plus one summer season in between. The link would be installed along the right-of-way for the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway, Salter said during the presentation. It's an ambitious project for a region with a relatively low population, he said, but the benefits will be considerable. "It doesn't make economic sense, but it makes social sense," said Salter. "There's a big capital cost, and after that a low incremental cost." He said the link will improve health services, particularly in tele-health, improved education and entertainment services, and in general connect Inuvik to the "rest of the world." "It doesn't matter where you are, there is the same access to markets and communications," Salter said. Currently, Internet services are provided via microwave transmissions and satellite feeds, which don't provide the same speed and capacity that a fibre link would. – with files from Roxanna Thompson
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