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INUVIK
As the holiday shopping season begins, stores in Inuvik will have to compete with online shopping for shoppers' attention.

The Town of Inuvik and Chamber of Commerce support the idea of purchasing from local businesses. John Ritchie, acting Chamber president, encourages shoppers to look for gifts in Inuvik before going online to shop.

"When you buy locally you can actually pick up the item and have it in your hand," Ritchie said. "You're also helping out friends and neighbours and keeping the money in the community."

On Facebook, the Inuvik Buy Sell Trade page has over 1,600 members and has many posts advertising items for sale that are too small or too big, likely purchased on the Internet.

While some people may say it's cheaper to buy items from the south, Mayor Denny Rodgers said the shipping costs bring the prices almost equal.

"If you wait, there are good sales here," Rodgers said. "Internet shopping is crazy here, but I think people would be surprised if they walked around the stores. Unless they're buying a big ticket item it costs more to ship stuff here."

Jackie Challis, the Town of Inuvik's economic development manager, agrees that transient people don't know what the stores offer. She thinks that a marketing campaign through the chamber or by talking with local media could promote more of a "buy local" mindset during the holiday season.

When it comes to presents and everyday purchases, Challis thinks Inuvik stores and artists have a lot to offer.

"Honestly, I don't think of the Internet as competition in terms of gifts. The community has great things that are handmade and Northern," Challis said. "In terms of gifts, people don't have to go far. Everything is here. We have unique things from the Arctic and there's no better place to go."

Boreal Books owner Dave Kaufman sells Northern art and books. He wishes more people would shop retail in Inuvik. His store will have extended hours in December to meet the expectations of customers. He says the Northern books available in his store come straight from the publisher, which means they are mostly the same price as books online or in southern stores.

"I'm always surprised when people don't look local," Kaufman said. "We can order any book that's in print and we try to stay true to Northern topics."

Challis points out that regional is also local and that supporting local artists is easily done through craft fairs and the gift shop on the third floor of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation building. People can also use these opportunities to speak directly with the artists to commission work to their specifications.

The Great Northern Arts Festival Craft Sale from Nov. 25 to 27 will have traditional arts and crafts such as carvings, beadings and sewing. Two artists from each community in the Beaufort Delta and the Sahtu will showcase their work. For people looking to purchase artwork, there's no better opportunity.

"What's better than buying directly from the incredible woman who made your slippers?" said Sasha Webb, executive director of the Great Northern Arts Festival. "You can't find artists online or on the phone. The only way to do it is to show up and see their stuff.

Economic developers are working on giving artists an online presence, but they're not there yet.

Although there are no exact numbers, Webb suspects the artists make $250,000 during the weekend.

The added benefits of artists and buyers coming to Inuvik for the festival will also inject extra cash into the community just in time for the holiday season.

To allow people time to shop, the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex will host a Drop and Shop event, for parents to drop off their children to skate or swim while they shop on Dec. 19 and 21.

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