NNSL (DEC 27/96) - Talk of the NWT's first diamond mine made peoples' eyes glitter while the economic realities of government cuts and cutbacks pulled on peoples' wallets in 1996.

Unto themselves, those issues were and are the most significant events to hit the business/labor community in Yellowknife last year.

Much of the local business community put its full support behind the proposal by BHP Diamonds/Dia Met Minerals to develop a diamond mine 300 kilometres North of Yellowknife in 1994.

In 1996 those supporters were greeted with news the multi-million project would proceed.

On the other side of the coin, local business had to deal with the losses of territorial government job cuts, the ensuing uncertainty about the layoffs and wage rollbacks to existing unionized government workers.

While those were two of the most significant events from 1996, many other newsworthy events and issues involved the Yellowknife business and labor community.

Early in the year the flying community heated up dealing with federally proposed changes to reduce pilot flying times.

Northern companies fought the proposal, saying pilots in the area don't have to deal with darkness and crowded airports as southern pilots do during the busy summer season.

Also in January, some disgruntled mini-satellite dish owners formed a group to try and find why, after purchasing systems and programming packages, they found their equipment worthless and the programming cancelled.

In February, public hearings into BHP's proposal began in Yellowknife.

The hearings were full of emotional pleas and plot twists that eventually wound its way down to Papua New Guinea.

Also that month, Canadian North privatized its baggage handling duties.

The airline and NorthwesTel were two of a number of business entities to hire contract workers to complete in-house services.

More results from the Steelworkers of America organizing drive through the city came to fruition in March. A collective agreement was reached at Northern Addictions Services.

The transfer of the territorial government's Occupational Health and Safety to the Workers' Compensation Board stirred emotions in the business/labor community.

The two sides combined their efforts to seek information on the transfer. Many questions went unanswered.

Yellowknife held a 50th anniversary in April celebrating the life of the local Chamber of Commerce.

Commemorative coins, shirts and hats were all a part of the celebration.

Celebration turned to concern as the Mackenzie crossing closed earlier than some anticipated. The closure translated into a mini-boom for trucking companies at the time.

The Yellowknife Co-op showed a $1.25 million increase in profits for 1995 and planned for a 12 per cent increase in 1996.

A dairy once again returned to the business community of Yellowknife. With 50 cows producing milk, Heartland Farms sells the milk to Tuaro Dairy which pasteurizes, homogenizes and packages the moo juice for sale.

The long-standing pay equity dispute between the Union of Northern Workers/Public Service Alliance of Canada and the territorial government took on new light.

A federal court turned down the government's appeal that the Canadian Human Rights Commission has no jurisdiction in the NWT. The issue has yet to be resolved.

In late June, the federal environmental assessment review panel recommended the BHP diamond mine proposal go ahead subject to 29 provisions.

Mid summer the head of the power corporation, Pierre Alvarez, said rising business costs will keep the cost of power as is, despite rising hydro levels.

After the news of approval for the BHP project from the federal review panel, the World Wildlife Fund threatened a lawsuit to prevent the mining project from reaching the next step.

The suit was later suspended with environmental commitments from government and BHP.

After a lengthy union drive at Echo Bay's Lupin gold mine, the Steelworkers looked as if they'd made major strides when the Canadian Labor Relations Board ruled the company violated the Canada Labor Code.

The board also ordered a vote at the mine later in the year. Workers soundly rejected unionizing.

In September, a NWT branch of the Trade and Construction Union opened in Yellowknife. The office is to act as conduit for workers to find jobs at large-scale projects in the North.

Once a thoroughfare from the airport to the city, Old Airport Road saw a development boom in the summer.

Various types of businesses opened, expanded or moved to the strip to hopefully cash in on the high traffic counts and easy access to the highway.

After the first summer of discount air fares from Yellowknife south, Montreal based Royal Airlines and NWT Air said they would again offer reduced rate flights next summer.

Canadian North said it will take a wait and see what's out there attitude.

Late October saw local entrepreneur Manuel Jorge receive approval to build his first prototype, made-in-the-North energy-efficient home.

Also in late October, the Women in Trades and Technology organization began holding meetings to interest women in non-traditional careers.

Later in 1996 Canadian North's mother airline Canadian International announced it needed concessions from staff, supplies and governments to continue operating.

The financial woes caused some uncertainty for Northern travellers, but by month's end the airline said it will continue operating on a new plan geared for success.

Apartment vacancies increased by almost one per cent in 1996 from 1995, a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report showed. While vacancies jumped slightly, rental rates remained unchanged.