Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 14/01) - Organizers and delegates agreed that Prospects North was a huge success despite the transportation nightmare that followed Tuesday's terrorist attack on America.

"Even with the transportation problems the opening reception was well attended," said event chair Bruce Jonasson.

By last Wednesday, 226 delegates had picked up their event badges.

"We were expecting 400," said Jonasson, but he added that 61 trade show delegates had also signed in.

Prospects North is a combination trade show and business conference held at various Yellowknife locations.

Grounded delegates and speakers were kept from the conference when North American air travel was halted following terrorist attack in the United States.

"There was a discussion about delaying," said Jonasson of the $500,000 production.

"But cancelling it was discarded very quickly."

Since 1989, the symposium has brought together business and investors and has grown to become the North's foremost deal-making conference.

Its organizing board combines some of Northwest Territories' leading businesses, the territorial Chamber of Commerce and volunteers from the community.

The event is held every three years and is in its fifth session.

"We made the right decision to carry on," he said.

"The people who are feeling the worst and complaining the most are on the organizing team," he said.

The conference focused on the Northern diamond industry, the oil and gas sector and traditional ventures including fur and arts and crafts.

Conference helps out

The shortage of attendees at business breakfasts and luncheons didn't end up completely on a downside. "We were committed and had to pay for the food. We were prepared to feed 400 but only 200 showed up," said Jonasson.

So an alternate plan was arranged. The overabundance of Northern gourmet delicacies was transported to mostly Japanese passengers from an international flight bound for Seattle that had been forced to land and wait in Yellowknife.

"They were invited to come to the luncheon but the emergency measures folks thought it was impossible," said Jonasson.

The travellers were treated to muskox, caribou and arctic char.

Although some of the conference's speakers couldn't make it to the event, only three keynotes cancelled altogether and had to be re-organized.

Jonasson was disappointed some speakers from overseas couldn't get off the ground on time.

As well, about three-quarters of the 60-member Alberta contingent was unable to make it.

"We wanted to make it international and national. Not just a Yellowknife event," said Jonasson.

But he remained upbeat, explaining that the organizers' workload wasn't heightened.

"The nature of an event this big -- the chaos has to be managed," he said. "We've been meeting five times a day."