SANIKILUAQ - It was a beautiful Canadian business transaction - a made-in-Nunavut stuffed wolf sold to a school in British Columbia at a trade show in Halifax.

For the four 17-year-old owners of Totally Special Inuit Crafts it was a taste of the Canadian business world.

From left, Lucy Cookie, Sarah Cookie, and Charlotte Crow sit at their trade show booth at the E-Spirit conference in Halifax. Their company, Totally Special Inuit Crafts, made several sales at the show. - photo courtesy of Jessie Fraser

The wolf was sold at the booth run by Jessie Fraser, Lucy Cookie, Sarah Cookie, and Charlotte Crow when they attended an E-Spirit Conference in Halifax two weeks ago.

"I think our table was the most popular one there," laughed Fraser.

Of all the tables shown at the conference trade show, theirs was the only one with a full-size wolf display, she said.

The girls were participating in the conference project for their first time.

The E-Spirit conferences are supported by the Business Development Bank of Canada, said John Jamieson, co-principal of Sanikiluaq's Nuiyak school and advisor for the project. They are held to encourage young aboriginal people in developing business skills.

The four girls are students at Nuiyak school. It was the fifth time the school sent students to the national conference.

"Our kids have had a chance to see the country," said Jamieson, "but in addition they've been able to see other people put business plans together."

Each year the students think of what business they want. They must create their product, come up with a business plan, and prepare for the trade show at the conference.

The wolf idea came out of the school's taxidermy program, said Jamieson.

The girls worked to sew the wolf pelt to a mannequin mostly after school. It took about two months, said Fraser, with an elder helping them.

"It didn't take very long and it was very fun," said Fraser.

Jamieson and the girls, along with a female chaperone, were in Halifax for a week. The conference ran over three days. The girls had to present their business plan in front of a large group and market their wares at the conference trade show.

"We had all these crafts - baskets, t-shirts, and the wolf," said Fraser.

They sold many of their products, she said. The wolf was definitely their biggest sale, going for $1,250.

The skills learned when participating in such a project are invaluable, said Jamieson.

It's important for the kids to get a taste of the business world, he said. Nunavut kids especially can benefit, he added, as the territory is so dependent on government jobs.

"We really need to support small business in the North and this shows them what it takes to put a business together," said Jamieson.

Fraser said she might put her skills to use one day.

"My Dad has a little business and with all this influence I just might have my own, maybe in the future," she said.

Groups from Iqaluit, Arviat, and Tikirarjuaq sent groups to the conference as well, according to Jamieson.