Terry Halifax
Northern News Services
Hay River (Apr 30/01) - Hay River has stepped into cyber-space with the launch of a new web site that promises to build a better community.
The virtual town hall that debuts May 1 will give tourists a glimpse of the area, and residents the option of paying bills online and a chance to say how the town is run.
Councillor Mike Maher lead the hayriver.com initiative and said it will grow.
The SmartHub site will promote the town with over 200 digital photographs, detailing services, events and even offer the business community the ease of filing applications right form their own PCs.
"We can put all kinds of forms online; business licenses, stuff that can be filled-out on line," he said.
The site will also offer biographies of councillors and the list of committees that each councillor is responsible for.
Acting Senior Administrative Officer Terence Courtoreille said council has approved a budget of $45,000 for the web initiative and administration will be presenting the accounting of this project within a month.
The town's Executive Secretary Kathleen Cole has been working with SSI Micro and Flying Colours Web Design to tailor the site to the town's unique vision.
She said citizens will be able to assist council directly by providing input to the decision-making process by email.
"We will be accessible 24 hours a day for individuals who want to send a message or make an inquiry -- that's a first," Cole said.
Soon the town will have meeting minutes and bylaws available on the site.
"It's not going to be a matter of coming into town hall anymore," she said "You just go to the site and download it."
Cole will update the site with news from council and the community and says keeping the web page active will keep people coming back to the page.
"People asking when the jetboat races are or when the speedway races are," she said. "You can just click on and get an email forwarded to you every time the page is updated."
The new site will answer many questions posed from a wide-variety of visitors.
"We have emails coming into town hall all the time, from all over the world," Cole said.
For the launch there will be prizes awarded to visitors as they click through the various pages within the portal.
"We have hidden areas were people will go in and a message will pop up and tell you what you've won," she said.
Golf balls, shirts, hats and mouse pads will be given away. They are the same souvenirs that will be available on the web site for sale.
"You can go on the main menu and order what ever you like," Cole said. "We get lots of requests from all over for pins and hats."
For no charge, local businesses can put their business card right online, with links to their email or website.
The new site was to be the first stage in the town's Smart Communities proposal, but Hay River was edged out by Yellowknife for the federal funding.
Mayor Duncan McNeill hopes there might be some money coming from the feds.
"We need $4.5 million to implement our Smart Initiatives plan," McNeill said.
The SmartHub can be found at http://www.hayriver.com/ at 10:00 am tomorrow.
