IQALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
The hub and heart of the Kitikmeot, Cambridge Bay, is booming, and the community is prepared for the growth.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper chats with Capt. Carrey Collinge and the crew of the Martin Bergmann research vessel prior to boarding the ship while in port in Cambridge Bay in August 2012. The hub of the Kitikmeot region is booming, thanks to construction of the new Canadian High Arctic Research Station and more interest from tourists. - photo courtesy of Jason Ransom

The hamlet, is projected, roughly, to grow to 2,200 souls by 2017 from a population of 1,608 in 2011. However, the hamlet has already surpassed 2017 predictions in so many ways.

Tourism numbers keep the hamlet hopping. Last year, four cruise ships visited the hamlet and will likely increase to six this season.

"And, possibly a seventh," said hamlet economic development officer Jim MacEachern. "On top of the cruise ships we're getting a lot of private vessels. Last year, we had four that came in, over and above the four cruise ships. These are really large yachts."

Vessels carry between 96 and 155 passengers. The height of the season typically lasts one week in late August. The economic returns, despite the good relationship with the cruise ship companies, are slim.

"We do find that there's not a huge economic impact from the cruise ships, but every little bit helps," said MacEachern. "We would like to see a more direct economic impact locally."

The community, however, is on higher alert as a result of the real and permanent growth stemming from the Canadian government's focused attention on the Arctic, with the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) project leading in terms of impact. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to visit for an official ground-breaking ceremony in late August.

"Because this growth has been rapid, we have had to speed up the schedule on all of our plans," said MacEachern.

For example, the NWT Power Corporation has said Cambridge Bay has already hit its projected 2017 demands on the power plant.

"There was a community plan done in 2009 and it had to be completely re-done because back in 2009 CHARS wasn't even really on the radar. So all of the presumptions and assumptions of that time became irrelevant, and had to be re-done," MacEachern said.

Major upgrades were done on the power plant in 2011.

"Because of those upgrades, we're OK for the short term. But the planning and preparation for a new facility have to start now."

A minimum of 25 new housing constructions are planned and, with those, new roads, power lines and water and sewer truck capacity are all on the radar of the CHARS steering committee, in existence since 2010. The committee is keeping an eye on all that needs to be done to accommodate this sudden growth.

"They are looking at all the potential impact of CHARS," said MacEachern.

"Even though CHARS is one facility with only 50 full-time positions, the spin-offs that are there, and the other development that's resulted from it, is where we're seeing really big impacts."

A new fuel tank farm is being constructed.

On the ground, all this activity translates into work.

Wilf Wilcox of Jago Services Inc., a contractor in the hamlet, can attest to that, and he sees it having positive effects.

"There's a lot of work available in Cambridge Bay right now, because of the construction, some of it related to CHARS, but there are a lot of other projects going on, as well," said Wilcox.

"It's been something we've never seen, that's for sure."

And it's been a bit of a catch-up situation since the CHARS announcement.

"On the first wave of activity, a lot of the community companies were bypassed," said Wilcox. "Just to ramp up and try to put things in place was pretty tough to do. But on the next wave, which is this year's tendering, I think people are doing fairly well, from the community perspective. And for the big (wave) coming, I guess that remains to be seen."

Fred Pederson, director of planning with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA), said the organization has lobbied Ottawa to ensure Inuit firms can be competitive by making the contracts in sizes that Inuit firms can bid on.

"There was to be one tender for 30 houses and that has changed to six tenders for five houses each," he said. "This type of tendering allows Inuit firms the opportunity to bid as they may have not been able to afford bid bonding for a larger tender call."

Wilcox notes the excitement of being in boom times, but also the "nervousness."

"You're used to working within certain boundaries and you have to expand those boundaries, and be able to meet new expectations and demands," he said.

"On the good side, I see an awful lot of young people working. And it seems like because they're working, it's shaking loose some people that have been kind of taking it easy, due to the lack of opportunities. It's terrific to see every job site ... there's lots of community people working."

The younger workers are getting a lot of training, including in the area of work safety, he added.

"Because you're not only building little houses - there's some pretty big structures going up. So they're learning, right from the beginning of their career, a lot of really good practices."

More work means more cash, and Wilcox notes there are negative elements of society that prey on people newly flush with money.

"That would be my only fear. Lots of people working is a good thing. It opens so many doors. But the lowlifes that prey on people - I hope they stay away."

MacEachern noted that KIA and the wellness centre are active in ensuring that community health remains a priority.

"There's no question that's a big concern," he said. "KIA has done a very good job of trying to make sure that everybody in Ottawa, for example, that is working on the CHARS project, that they realize that it is an issue and a potential area of concern.

"The KIA and the wellness centre, which is run by the hamlet, have been working to develop programs that will increase community spirit, and culture and heritage."

MacEachern acknowledges that there will always be more to do but, he said, "we're certainly aware of the potential problems and trying to do as much as we can."

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