Dawn Ostrem & Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 25/01) - "Everyone's happy they've had the opportunity to get together and look at how things went and the way things are going to go, and how everyone can work together to make sure things operate the best they can."
If Inuvik residents thought last winter was busy in Beaufort Delta oil patch, they haven't seen anything.
"Hold on," advised Jim Emme, a presenter at the Inuvik petroleum show and conference.
Speaking for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers at the conference that drew more than 300 delegates and 70 exhibitors to Inuvik, Emme said that next season up to four rigs will be operating alongside seven seismic projects.
All will be dragging $150 to $200 million with them, "so, if you thought it was active last year, hold on," he said.
The two-day show brought together a broad mix -- everyone from key figures in multi-national petroleum companies to local industry and managers of social programs.
Petro-Canada, NorthwesTel, and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation companies were among the 80 exhibitors distributing brochures, sun glasses, fly swatters and pens.
Delegates got an overview of recent exploration activity in the Beaufort Delta, training needs and programs, and ways to increase benefits to communities.
Education minister Jake Ootes said the territorial government is "determined to give Northerners the opportunity to advance beyond entry level jobs in the oil and gas industry."
He said more co-ordination is needed among the various groups providing training within the NWT to avoid overlapping and duplication.
"We live in this territory together and we must work together to make it better," Ootes said.
The Inuvik campus of Aurora College is offering a training program for drilling rig workers.
Campus director Miki O'Kane said the first of three 12-day courses is to start in July. The program is still short about $175,000 of its total budget of $840,000.
She said the government, Inuvialuit Regional Corp. and Gwich'in Tribal Council, have already made commitments, as well as many oil and gas companies.
A panel discussed the implications of development on community, health, economic and social levels. The discussion was sparsely attended but the topics hard-hitting.
"It's a socially accepted norm in our town to be under the influence or stoned and nobody says it's wrong," said Maria Nieuwenhuyzen during a discussion group on health and social costs.
Nieuwenhuyzen spoke for the Inuvik interagency committee that represents various social groups in the community.
"I think it is really important that come from leadership," she added. "When people's income increased generally their health will increase but that is not happening here."
Inuvik mayor Peter Clarkson said the presentations, plus the small group or one-on-one discussions, were positive.
"Everyone's happy they've had the opportunity to get together and look at how things went and the way things are going to go, and how everyone can work together to make sure things operate the best they can," Clarkson said.
"That was our objective, to get people together to discuss how things went, and to set up a process so things could go even better in the future."
Clarkson helped spearhead the idea of having such a conference after travelling to Yellowknife with Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Floyd Roland. Roland was pleased with the show.
"We've got a lot of companies and corporations showing interest again in the Mackenzie Delta," Roland said.
"That's good for Inuvik in the sense of the spinoff of all these people here, and using the services of the community."
Roland said the whole region would benefit in the long term from the partnerships and networking done at the Petroleum Show.
Wally Cullen, an accounts manager with Imperial Oil, agreed.
"Lots of times you don't get to see the people face to face, it is over the telephone," Cullen explained.
"Coming together like this, you get the chance to share new ideas and a better understanding of what's going on in the industry, and who the key players are."
Cullen said this compares well to the many trade shows he's been to over the years.
Derek Lindsay, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Inuvik, said the show would benefit the community both in terms of the number of visitors in town and the resulting deals and understandings that would be reached.
Lindsay also said it was a good chance to try to drum up new members for the chamber.
Smooth going
Brian Desjardins, who helped organize the Petroleum Show, said things went smoothly.
"We're the ones that notice the glitches when things are going wrong," Desjardins said.
"No one noticed those glitches. We've learned from our mistakes this year and it'll only just make the show better next year."
