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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City councillors are questioning the need for a $40,000 economic development plan while the territorial government is conducting its own studies on how to reinvigorate the NWT economy.

City administration is seeking a green light from council to get started on the city plan, with a target completion date of Aug. 1, but the proposal got a rough ride at Monday's municipal services committee meeting.

"I don't know how many reports I have seen done by one department and then done by another department with the first department not knowing about the other's report because nobody talks to anybody," complained city councillor Rebecca Alty.

The councillor cautioned council to wait for a report from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment's economic advisory panel - expected this spring - before going ahead with the city's plan.

The department is also expected to unveil a mineral development strategy by June.

Alty wasn't alone as Couns. Dan Wong and Linda Bussey expressed similar concerns, although most councillors agreed the city will need to put together its own economic plan at some point in order to give the city's communications and economic development department some guidelines in the future.

The last economic development plan by the city was completed in 2006. The New Paradigm for Economic Growth plan called for the city to work toward becoming a cold weather testing centre, research geothermal energy, and develop a diamond and jewelry manufacturing industry.

Nalini Naidoo, director of communications and economic development for the city, is aiming to put together a five-year plan that will express a city vision for tourism, marketing and economic growth. If approved, the city will put out a request for proposals to hire a consultant to prepare the economic development plan. Council approved the item as a capital project in the 2013 budget.

Despite some of the concerns among councillors, a majority indicated they would support it.

"I think we should do this and I think that it is good that it is happening now," said Coun. Niels Konge, who along with Couns. Cory Vanthuyne, Adrian Bell, and Mayor Mark Heyck, argued the city should proceed as soon as possible.

"Especially on the tourism end of it because I would have liked to see the city promoting things like the Long John Jamboree and promoting that as a tourism thing. The city needs to be supporting these things," Heyck said.

Bell said it is important the city have its own plan so that the city isn't merely following the GNWT or the federal government's vision for economic growth.

"It is up to us - as other communities in the NWT do and have done more actively than we have - to look at our potential way forward and what the role of the city can be with development, if any," Bell said.

Having a strategic plan will make the city more effective in attracting large projects that could benefit Yellowknife, such as a stand-alone university or college campus, Bell said.

Coun. Phil Moon Son, who wasn't at Monday's meeting, has been championing this issue since being elected. He says it is "critical" the city not only puts together a plan, but that a committee is created so that the city is showing that economic development is a priority area for council.

"I think it has been ridiculous that we have a (diamond) mine that could be closing down six years from now ... but it hasn't really been discussed at a very in-depth level on what we are going to do and how are we going to replace that," Moon Son said.

"We also need to show the NWT and the rest of Canada that the city is really serious about economic development. If we don't even have an economic committee, it shows the world that it isn't a priority of ours."

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