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SOUTH SLAVE
An initiative to create a new economic strategy for the NWT has begun its community visits to hear what the people think.

Two members of a four-person panel getting input for a new economic strategy for the NWT – former premier Joe Handley, left, and Rory Campbell, centre, Alberta's former deputy minister of economic development – talk with Kevin Wallington at a public forum in Hay River on Dec. 12. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

A four-person panel, chaired by former premier Joe Handley, visited Fort Smith and Hay River last week to collect input for the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy.

At a public forum in Hay River on Dec. 12, the panel heard a wide range of suggestions on how to improve the economy.

The Town of Hay River's economic co-ordinator Jordan Stackhouse said there needs to be investment in economic sectors such as forestry, fisheries and agriculture.

"Stuff that is sustainable," he said.

Kevin Wallington said larger industries should only be "gravy" for the NWT economy.

"They shouldn't be our staple," he said, noting there are more dependable areas of the economy, such as agriculture and fishing.

Hay River North MLA Robert Bouchard said he would like to see more investment in infrastructure, such as upgrading Highway 7 between Fort Simpson and Fort Liard to encourage tourism.

"If the roads were better, we'd be able to promote the Deh Cho Loop," Bouchard said.

A number of people at the Hay River forum noted some aspects of the economy, such as forestry, is being hindered by the lease-only policy for land until land claims are settled.

Others suggested there may be ways through incentives or tax credits to retain more of the benefits from large industrial activities and to encourage more workers to live here.

Handley is optimistic about the process of creating a new economic strategy, noting it is timely because the last strategy, Common Ground, was created more than a decade ago.

At that time, many people were optimistic the Mackenzie Valley pipeline was going to move ahead in a year or two, the diamond mines were going full throttle and people thought there were possibly more diamonds all over the North, he said. "So things have changed where we have to rethink our economic strategy."

The panel visited Fort Smith on Dec. 11 and 12 and Hay River on Dec. 12 and 13 for public forums and separate meetings with town councils, chambers of commerce and other organizations.

After hearing from only two communities, Handley said people are looking at building on the natural advantages of each community, but also appear willing to support larger industries such as mining and oil and gas.

"But that can't be the backbone of our next economic strategy," he said of major industries. "It's got to be about energy, about cost of living, about sustainable communities and about keeping people here happy."

The public meeting in Fort Smith attracted 37 people while the Hay River forum had about 15 participants.

The panel is also made up of Heather Bourassa, a business owner from Fort Good Hope; Gordon Van Tighem, a former mayor of Yellowknife; and Rory Campbell, Alberta's former deputy minister of economic development, and agriculture and food.

Bourassa is optimistic about the process, especially since the ideas will be coming to government from the community level.

"I think coming from the bottom up holds a lot more weight than just having a consultant from God knows where tell people how they should run their lives or do their business," she said.

Bourassa sees her role on the panel as providing the viewpoint of smaller communities and business.

After only two days of meetings, she found people are really positive.

"They're giving us suggestions," she said. "It's not just complaining about where they are and what their state is. People tend to have a lot of good ideas."

Marie Swanson, vice-president of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce 2012, was part of a meeting involving the panel, the chamber and the Town of Fort Smith.

"It's time to think ahead a little and find out what people think," she said, adding the chamber did a little bit of brainstorming in advance of the panel arriving in town. "It was a good process."

Swanson said the ideas centred on ways the government could help the community with long-term goals, such as providing different educational opportunities at Aurora College, not necessarily things that could be handled locally.

Fort Smith Mayor Brad Brake welcomed the discussion of a new economic strategy.

"I think it was a good starting point," he said.

Brake said he supports more co-operation among the communities in the South Slave. "If we all work together I'm sure there are no limits to the possibilities we can come up with."

More public forums will be held after Christmas in Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Inuvik, Behchoko and Yellowknife. The meetings will conclude in mid-February and the strategy is expected to be completed by spring or summer.

The GNWT has allocated $347,000 to create the new strategy.

It is being developed in partnership with the Northern Aboriginal Business Association, the NWT Chamber of Commerce, the NWT Association of Communities and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

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