SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A two-year-old business assistance program operated by the territorial government gave $1.5 million in assistance to NWT tourism operators during the 2008-2009 fiscal year, according to a recent GNWT report.

North Nahanni Naturalist Lodge co-owner Loyal Letcher, middle, poses with his daughter, Winona Rose, left and son, Loyal, Jr., right, at the top of Mount Cli, The lodge was among 26 businesses and organizations that received funding through a GNWT tourism program. - photo courtesy of North Nahanni Naturalist Lodge 2008-2009 funding Arctic Chalet (Inuvik) $36,500 Arctic Red River Outfitters (Norman Wells) $21,000 Artillery Lake Lodge (in the barren lands) $21,250 Aurora World (Yellowknife) $167,250 Beck's Kennels (Yellowknife) $21,250 Blachford Lake Lodge (Yellowknife) $10,000 Canadian North (Yellowknife) $71,000 Enodah Wilderness Travel (Yellowknife) $243,000 Miki Enterprises (Yellowknife) $10,000 Modeste Outfitting (Deline) $25,000 Nahanni River Adventures/Blackfeather (Ft Simpson) $42,000 North Nahanni Naturalist Lodge (Fort Simpson) $33,750 Nahanni Wilderness Adventures (Fort Nelson, B.C.) $21,250 Northern Adventure Racing $21,250 North Star Adventures (Yellowknife) $70,000 NWT Tourism (Yellowknife) $240,000 Peterson's Point Lake Lodge (Yellowknife) $25,000 Rabesca's Resources (Yellowknife) $21,250 Rapid Travel Ltd. (Inuvik) $58,000 Redstone Trophy Hunts Ltd. (Norman Wells) $21,000 Sambaa K'e Fishing Lodge (Yellowknife) $10,000 True North Safaris (Yellowknife) $44,000 Up North Tours (Inuvik) $65,000 Whitney and Smith Legendary Expeditions (Yk) $21,000 Yellow Dog Lodge (Yellowknife) $17,500 Yellowknife Outdoor Adventure (Yellowknife) $210,000 TOTAL $1,547,750

The Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program, which was launched in 2007-2008, provided help to 26 businesses and tourism organizations, according to "Grants and Contributions Results Report 2008/2009." The report was released last month by the department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

The majority of businesses funded either operate or are based in Yellowknife, though businesses from Norman Wells, Fort Simpson and Inuvik also received cash. The program is geared to help businesses diversify their product lines as well as market their operations.

"Basically the history of our company is we've been just struggling - a lot of blood, sweat and tears, on our own, with never a penny of help from anybody," said Judi Falsnes, co-owner of Arctic Chalet, a bed and breakfast in Inuvik. "But when this program came around, we were fortunate to get some help and be able to upgrade a lot of our equipment."

The chalet received money that was instrumental in helping the lodge expand its offering of tours, said Falsnes.

The company had previously only offered two-hour-long tours that took visitors on a private trail between the chalet and the Inuvik airport.

"We needed better gear, so we got tents and stoves and a snowmobile," which now equip the company to make trips to Tuktoyaktuk, said Falsnes. "We had been using older snowmobiles and with the greater demand (for tours), it was getting more and more difficult to keep those things running."

Falsnes also wants to begin offering two-day dog sledding trips during which guests spend one night in a former family cabin 20 kilometres outside of Inuvik.

"We're going to use it as a dog-sledding destination going one route, and going another route as a snowshoe destination," she said, adding, "We need a hot tub out there to make it really special, so we put that in with our request for funding."

North Nahanni Naturalist Lodge, located 70 air miles from Fort Simpson, used program funds to launch a new website, said co-owner Ria Letcher.

"Over the span of 12 years this is our third website and it's our best," said Letcher, who, with her husband Loyal, also used the money to attend trade shows, a crucial marketing tool at a time when luxury spending is on the wane.

The lodge did not take in any guests last month, which is unusual, said Letcher.

"Definitely the economy has something to do with it," she said. "More people don't have a discretionary income. They may, but they're hanging on to it."