SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Canada's new Innovation, Science and Economic Development minister made no major funding nor policy announcements when he visited Yellowknife on Wednesday.
Navdeep Bains, Canada's Innovation, Science and Economic Development minister speaks at the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce business club breakfast Wednesday at the Quality Inn. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
But Navdeep Bains said he is fully aware of the unique economic challenges that the NWT is currently facing. He said he understands that the territory must expand its resource sector and improve the infrastructure deficit if it wants to kick-start its sluggish economy.
Bains said the federal government is doing its part by continuing to fund CanNor (Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency) with $40 million over the next two years. He said that financial commitment is a strong sign the Trudeau government wants to help the NWT both diversify and strengthen its economy. CanNor was established in 2009 and funds programs and projects designed to help the economy across all three territories.
"Since its creation ... CanNor alone has supported more than 1,000 projects across the territory for a total investment of approximately $255 million ... that includes $59 million in aboriginal economic development." Bains said CanNor now has access to the best practices and creative thinking because it is under the same roof as the five other regional economic development agencies.
Bains, who said this was his second time in the city, was here for a series of events beginning with an early morning meeting with fellow Liberal and NWT MP Michael McLeod as well as Premier Bob McLeod. He then attended the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce business club breakfast.
Chamber executive director Deneen Everett said that the continued CanNor funding is important, adding that her organization received $150,000 from it last year.
"We have used it on a couple of projects - primarily funding educational courses to build capacity in the North ... we did marketing, human resources and a financial management course. We used the money to subsidize the cost of those courses so they were accessible to small businesses."
Everett said the chamber expects to apply for more CanNor funding again this year. She added that they are currently engaging with the business community to find out what kind of educational courses they want.
Meanwhile, Tom Hoefer, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, said he heard Bains mention "social innovation" during his speech and added that if the minister wants to learn about that, then has come to the right place. Hoefer said that Bains needs to be aware of the strong example the NWT mining industry has set by including aboriginal people in its economic development.
"This is the 25th anniversary of the discovery of diamonds in the NWT. In that 25 years when you look at the social innovation that's arisen - it's mind boggling," Hoefer said. "We have actually supported a whole host of new aboriginal businesses, spent over $5 billion with those businesses, put over 20,000 person years in Northern employment, about half of that aboriginal.
"There's about 750 aboriginal people working in the mineral industry. Resource royalty sharing has come out of it - that's innovative. All of that makes us a leader in the country."
Hoefer said that NWT residents sometime forget to celebrate those successes and leadership.
"Most southern Canadians - when they think about indigenous issues - wouldn't associate the word innovation with them," Hoefer said. "We hear about so many problems whether it's Attawapiskat or Idle No More - concerns (southern) communities have - all of this because they don't have what we have achieved here in the NWT. We have to get the message out to the government - we've done some pretty cool things here. The rest of the country could learn from it." Hoefer said he intends to write to Bains detailing the successful mining-aboriginal partnership.
While he was here, Bains also attended a science, technology, engineering and math workshop at Mildred Hall School before hosting a meet and greet at Twist Lounge.
