INUVIK
The new president of the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce looks a lot like the old one.

Bright Lubansa: agreed to serve a second term as the president of the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce on April 10 during the organization's annual general meeting. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Bright Lubansa, a regional manager for the Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust, signed on for a second term with the organization April 10 during its annual general meeting at the Inuvik Curling Club.

Lubansa said he had been hoping to step down, but there were no alternative candidates waiting in the wings.

He outlined some of the organization's accomplishments during a short speech at the AGM and pointed toward what remains to be done.

"There is an over-reliance on the government in the NWT," Lubansa said. "And we want to change that. We need to have the help of the GNWT, but not a reliance on the GNWT.

"We want to give the businesses an opportunity for them to lead economic growth in the NWT.

Without the government, it seems like communities cannot provide the essential services. While we do need the government, it should not be in the forefront. The businesses should be."

He told the audience "we desperately need jobs here at home."

"Our region is endowed with many natural resources. We are literally sitting on natural gas and other resources, and yet we are importing fuel from elsewhere."

Those kind of challenges, he said, can be overcome by investing in programs and "stimulus," he said.

"One of the findings from the economic development strategy was that there is a lack of spark for development opportunities here in Inuvik," Lubansa said.

"We do have a solution. We can create business incubators that can encourage entrepreneurs who have businesses who don't know how to go about developing them.

"We can help them through a program like a business incubator," he said.

"It's the small businesses that will lead to growth in the NWT."

Lubansa suggested that with the advent of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre-optic Line, combined with the Inuvik satellite station facilities, Inuvik is poised to host a "knowledge economy."

"Not too many other places have the opportunity that we have here," he said.

"And it's not a resource you can deplete. We can bring in many space agencies and telecommunication companies to come and take advantage of what we have here."

"We can't seize that opportunity, though, without local entrepreneurship. I've been speaking to the college, telling them it's now we need to start training. I've been talking to the town, saying it's now we have to start marketing."

Lubansa said the chamber's ultimate goal is for the GNWT to introduce policies and guidelines that will allow it to better guide human resources, natural resources and infrastructure.

"We talk about all of these natural resources and then we make it difficult to access those resources," he said.

"I'll tell you what. The oil companies are not going to sit around and wait for us to go through all the regulations or the processes. They can (go elsewhere) and get them.

"So new regulations would help to stimulate our economy."

Such ideas were welcome news to many members of the audience, since the Inuvik economy continues to struggle.

Brian McDonald, who was born and raised in town, said that while he's accustomed to the town's "boom and bust" economic cycle, that this is the lowest "bust" he can remember seeing.

"It's going to be a struggle for the next few years," McDonald said.

Inuvik Mayor Floyd Roland said it's time for the town and region to look at projects that are "right-sized."

"We need to start projects that are made for us and for our region," he said, promoting his oft-stated concept of building a gas-to-liquids plant here, where the refined products can be provided to the settlements and be shipped out.

"If we do that, we'll be able to become more self-sufficient," Roland said.

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