Baker Lake loses $90,000 in hunting revenue
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Baker Lake (Nov 06/00) - Southern caribou hunters may return to Baker Lake next year.
Jerome Knap, president of Canadian North Outfitting Inc. in Almonte, Ontario, said the hamlet lost half its scheduled hunters and about $60,000 last year because of its caribou quota.
"The HTO in Baker would have got an increase in its caribou quota if it had been requested," said Knap.
"They even sent us a fax saying they had requested it, but they never did.
"We sent about 24 hunters and we should have sent twice that number.
"We sent them to Arviat instead."
Baker didn't receive any hunters from Knap's company this year when its HTO declined to sign a contract with his company.
Knap says the loss of 24 hunters cost the community about $60,000 in revenue.
"I was told they decided a local person would market the hunts and they didn't need our services.
"We didn't promote Baker and subsequently, there were no Baker hunts."
Knap says a vigourous marketing campaign is needed to attract hunters to the Kivalliq.
He says southern sports shows must be attended, advertising placed in American hunting magazines, mailing lists compiled and brochures printed.
"Clients don't appear like geese in the spring. It takes a lot of hard work to attract them."
Final details are being worked out on a new contract for next year and Knap says he'll be happy to send hunters back to Baker.
"I'm not going to mix words here because too many try to be gentle when it comes to decisions like this.
"The HTO's decision last year -- and not realizing the work involved in marketing -- was just plain stupid.
"We're now working with a consortium of guides in Baker and not the HTO."
Board to meet
Baker HTO President David Aksawnee says the HTO is holding an important meeting tonight, Nov. 6
He says he does want to speculate on next year's hunt until after the meeting, but did say the HTO had no intention of trying to attract hunters this year.
"We worked this year on our future plans and hope we come to some firm decisions tonight," says Aksawnee.
"It wasn't a case of not being happy with Mr. Knap or our arrangement.
"The board wanted to hold off and look at our options and that's why we didn't sign the contract."
