by Marty Brown
Northern News Services

NNSL (DEC 02/96) - Delegates at a conference on mining in Yellowknife last week realized they were going to have to change their way of doing business if they want to cash in on the proposed mining boom in the North.

"Mines aren't coming to us on a bent knee," said Don Portz with 5D Management company.

Some business people believed they had been lazy in the past and haven't had to hustle. Other said we're not good salesmen or good marketers.

"BHP doesn't want to be asked what they want. They want to hear what we can do for them," delegate Liz Wyman said.

Archie Gillies, a South Slave economic development officer, said BHP has been having open houses for three years and "if we don't know what they want by now, it's our own fault."

In order to take advantage of mining developments and opportunities, delegates from education, the business community, and aboriginal development corporations looked at everything from joint ventures to transportation.

Delegates from businesses and aboriginal organizations across the North believed a clearing house was needed that will pull together information on labor needed, business, and training available.

Whether it would take the form of an Internet web site or a newsletter will be decided by a joint committee made up of representatives from the organizers -- the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, the NWT Chamber of Mines, the NWT Chamber of Commerce, and the NWT Construction Association.

The open-space conference was run along the lines of a coffee break. Delegates discussed matters important to them with no formal speeches or presentations.