Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Coral Harbour (Oct 11/00) - Coral Harbour is continuing on its path to establish itself as an attraction for hunters and tourists.

Wes Werbowy, from Thunder Bay, Ont., was in Coral last month to instruct a level two Big Game Guide course. He has been involved with outfitting in the North for about 20 years.

There were eight participants in the month-long course, which was a success, says Werbowy.

"There are already bookings in place for caribou hunts. That will bring money into Coral Harbour and course participants now have a firm grasp on the proper way to do it."

He says recent taxidermy and guiding courses in Coral are just scratching the surface of the local industry's potential.

He adds there's a tremendous need for this type of training with Nunavut struggling with ideas on how to become economically self-reliant.

"The most beautiful ideas on Earth will always remain air castles unless you have a solid foundation and that's what this type of training provides.

"There's a fledgling ground swell of enterprise beginning with the guys in Coral.

"They understand how to operate and set their prices now so they're in control of their own resources and it's not a case of money making a U-turn to the south."

Werbowy says taxidermy and arts and crafts are strong offshoots of the hunting industry.

He says people who come to the Arctic for a new experience are going to want to take mementos back with them.

Thirty tags were granted for the private project, which included a dry run where participants harvested caribou for eight days and maintained their own record books.

Werbowy says once southern hunters realize Coral hosts fine game animals, there will be a focus of interest on it.

He says with a $2,000 US price tag, 30 tags bring in $60,000 US to the community and that's just a start.

"Coral can easily conform to 40 hunters in a one-month period.

"Once that stage is reached, you're looking at $125,000 Cdn. coming into the community and Nunavut.

"That's significant income to a community Coral's size."

Werbowy says other opportunities develop once local hunters are capable of taking people out on the land safely and professionally.

"Not everybody is a consumptive tourist, so there is also potential for eco-tourism here and polar bear photography."