Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Aug 15/05) - Visitors to the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2005 in Japan last week were able to hear first-hand some stories about a typical day in the North.

Iqaluit's Kirt Ejesiak was one of six Canadian representatives in Aichi, Japan from Aug. 6-10 for the Japan World Expo 2005. The storyteller and entrepreneur was the only one from the North.

"All too often the North is forgotten about when it comes to international issues," said Ejesiak, who owns Uqsiq Communications and Inuit Sea Kayaking Adventures.

"If you look at what's happening in the mining industry, fishing industry and the arts and tourism, I think that's where the North is really well represented when it comes to this exhibition in Japan," he said."It is a really good representation of how the North is going to be the next big important economic driver for Canada," he said.

The exhibit featured a "huge" display of Aurora Borealis, videos of the six Canadians going about their daily life, and information about the industries of the North.

"My role is really to try to increase awareness in hopes it will increase trade as well for Canada's North," he said.

"Coming to an event like this really gives the Japanese public a better understanding of what it's like in the Arctic. I think they very much want to come and see what it's like. I hope by me being here I'm able to attract visitors to the North."

While the number of Japanese tourists visiting Nunavut is not available, Ejesiak's visit to Japan can only help with tourism, said Marilyn Scott, manager of the Unikkaarvik Visitor's Centre.

"People from all over the world come here to see the breathtaking landscape," she said. "It is so different from what most people experience day-to-day."

In 1989, fewer than 100 Japanese tourists visited the NWT. By comparison, after extensive government and private marketing campaigns, the government of the NWT expects approximately 11,000 Japanese tourists to visit next season, with each spending $747 on average.

- with files from Daron Letts