Pond Inlet (Aug 04/03) - A single project could reap numerous benefits for Pond Inlet. But only if the community gets a little help.

The Toonoonik Sahoonik Co-op is hoping to build a new hotel by next year, but they need some financial help.

"The project is budgeted at $3.4 million. The co-op will put $900,000 in cash and we can handle a mortgage of $1.1 million, but we need some assistance," said Chris Mitchell, general manager of the co-op.

He's hoping the help will come from the government, and from Aboriginal Business Canada and Kakivak, two organizations that help aboriginal businesses.

A meeting with these two organizations is scheduled for Aug. 18 in Pond Inlet.

"The hotel will take our tourism business a giant leap forward. It will also give government agencies and businesses a new destination for conferencing; give them a chance to see a beautiful part of the world," Mitchell said.

A spot for the hotel has already been picked out and a survey of the property is expected in August or early September.

"The view will be tremendous. It will offer a 360 degree view of the local area," he said.

The community and the co-op membership have voted in favour of the project, and want to see it happen.

"We've had several community meetings and co-op membership meetings and

they have said they would like to see hotel and a 250-person conference centre," Mitchell said.

A first phase would see 20 units and two suites as well as a restaurant and the conference centre being built.

"We are hoping it will take two years to develop a tourist market to justify extra rooms (for phase two)," Mitchell said.

The completed project is expected to have 40 units and four suites with a total of 22,000 sq feet on two floors.

The community currently has 20 rooms available. There are 12 at the hotel and another six at the transient centre, now call the Qagivik. Another four rooms are used in an overflow trailer.

Mitchell said the current hotel in Pond Inlet, also owned by the co-op, has reached it's end.

"We've been in the hotel business since the early 1970s with the transient centre. Then in the early 1980s we built the Sauniq hotel which is a prefab structure. It's now past its life expectancy and so now it's time for a new hotel," he said.

On Wednesday, Mitchell said he had only three empty rooms.

"During the tourist season and construction season, the hotel is taxed.

"In September we have two conferences scheduled: one for teachers and another for principals. I have to turn away guests during those two weeks," he said.