Yellowknife (Sep 06/06) - Yellowknifers can now attend a business lecture in Edmonton without leaving the city.

Residents will now be able to take advantage of a free video conference facility located on the seventh floor of the downtown Northwestel building.

Renae Agrey, left, business information officer, with Canadian Business NWT, Claudia Kelly, manager, Canadian Business NWT and Pawan Chugh, chief executive officer, NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation, line up in front of new video conference equipment they offer to local businesses. - David Ryan/NNSL photo

Free business presentations will be streamlined from the Edmonton office of Canada Business Alberta to a video conference room shared by Canada Business NWT and the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation, said Claudia Kelly manager of Canada Business NWT. Her group is part of a nationwide network that mostly promotes small businesses.

"The presentations are not only for businesses, but anyone that wants to learn something about business," she said.

Video conferencing is a tool that will hopefully benefit people living in the North, said Kelly.

The business presentations are being organized by Canada Business NWT. The fall presentations will run beginning on Sept. 5 and will run until Dec. 14.

Co-funding for the video conferencing system comes from Industry Canada and the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation.

With the video conferencing link, people interested in business will be able to hear lectures from professionals. They can also ask questions, said Pawan Chugh, chief executive officer with NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation.

"I'm very confident that this will be a success."

"If someone has a concept or idea about a business, this can be a new form or develop a business," said Chugh.

With two large flat screens, a Candberg camera, a DVD/VHS player and links to laptops, the video conference centre should help to provide stimulation for small businesses, said Renae Agrey, business information officer at Canada Business NWT.

"The video conferencing system is really a valuable form of e-learning," said Agrey. "Maybe we can now call it v-learning."