Latest news with #Yellowknife-based
CBC
09-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Workshops in N.W.T. explore co-ops as alternative for northern business
A Yellowknife-based learning and research centre recently hosted some workshops looking at co-operatives as an alternative model for northern business. Glen Coulthard, a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, helped found the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning in 2010. It's an Indigenous land-based initiative which delivers accredited post-secondary education and research opportunities in the North. Coulthard says co-ops used to be more common in the North. "Co-operatives were thought of as an integral part of … [Northwest Territories'] … history," he said. A co-op is a business owned by its members, with each member having decision-making power. Co-ops aim to give back to the community where they operate and because decisions are made by worker-members as well as a board. The recent courses and workshops at Dechinta were conducted with Surrey, B.C.-based Solid State Community Industries, which specializes in worker co-operatives but also the "solidarity economy." The solidarity economy prioritizes environmental and social profits just as much, if not more than, economic profits. Glen Coulthard says he and Matt Hern, who helped co-found Solid State, had been thinking about the history of co-operatives in the North and talking about collaborating together for a long time. Coulthard says the invitation to work with Dechinta was to spark interest and answer questions about how to build alternative economies, and share the nitty-gritty details of how different models exist. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, another faculty member at Dechinta, was also part of organizing Solid State's visit. Dabney Meachum, climate change and disaster coordinator at Dechinta, says part of the excitement of working with Solid State was because it's already helped build successful co-ops in B.C. and so much of its work intersects with Dechinta. "Building networks of solidarity can help in tough times," Meachum said. Solid State's 2024 annual report says it has 28 co-ops with over 200 members. These co-ops range across a variety of fields: health care, early childhood education, arts and culture, urban planning, climate change, cleaning, media, peer support, and more. WeiChun Kua, who was among the Solid State staff who came to the N.W.T., said many people right now are feeling a lot of insecurity and struggling to afford daily life. Co-ops can offer a different way of doing things, Kua said. "This work is really important ... as we really build and practice a different way of working together, a different economy that actually centres people and that actually centres workers." Kua said the Dechinta students and workshop attendees were incredible, they asked good questions, and there were good discussions about what co-operative projects in different communities might look like. Katrina Mugume, who's been with Solid State for about a year and a half, says the experience of working with Dechinta and being in the North was incredible. She said the group learned a lot, about Dene and northern history and culture, and got to experience things like ice roads, ice fishing, trying caribou meat for the first time, and having meaningful conversations with elders. Mugume said she's looking forward to what happens next. "The work … [Dechinta Centre and local groups] are doing is amazingly good. It's local, it's empowering to the community … hopefully in the future they can have their own [co-operative] incubator." Mario Cimet, a co-operative developer with Solid State, says that while the context in the N.W.T. is very different from Surrey, he could see how the respective organizations' content overlaps. An important part of Solid State's recipe for success is making sure food is always available at gatherings, and the workshops in Yellowknife were no different. Sharing food together, Cimet says, is part of building relationships. Aileen Ling, executive director of Makerspace YK, attended both the workshops. She said it was amazing to see the two organizations work together, and to learn about how Dechinta's Indigenous-led practice might align with the world of co-operatives.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.W.T. nominee program reopening day brings uncertainty for many
The N.W.T. opened up its nominee program to applications for a one-week period starting on Thursday, but new changes from federal cuts are worrying both employers and employees alike. The program, which was supposed to reopen last month, is now open until March 6. The Northwest Territories Nominee Program attracts foreign nationals looking to immigrate to Canada, those already here with expiring work permits and individuals seeking permanent residency. The federal government reduced the number of people the N.W.T. could accept, forcing the territory to delay the reopening. Last year, the program had 300 positions open. Now, there are 150. Of those 150 spots, the territorial government has said 60 will be filled by applications from 2024, which means for new applicants in 2025, there's 90 openings left. Applications will also be selected at random, instead of on a first-come, first-served basis. Arun Singh, the immigration director at the Yellowknife-based firm ECEN Immigration Services, says the change has caused stress for many individuals. "Everyone seems very tense. They don't have any hope of how they're going to maintain their status or how they will even get the work permit. I've heard a lot of people saying they might just leave, go back if it happens," said Singh. Limited applications for businesses One of the changes the federal cuts have caused is that the territory now requires applicants to have worked in the same job for their employer for at least one year. Singh said employees who may be just under the one-year requirement, and employers with many staff, are in a tough spot. Employers with up to 10 N.W.T employees can submit one application to the nominee program this year, while those with up to 49 can submit two applications, and those with more than 50 can submit four applications. Pre-screened then randomly selected, 90 applications will be assessed in order of the expiry date of a person's work permit. Said Salhi, who moved to Yellowknife in 2019 from Saudi Arabia, is one of the people who won't be applying this year because of the limited intake numbers. Salhi said he has been trying to obtain permanent residency through the nominee program since 2021. During that time, he's been putting together all the required documents, certificates and English tests. "Here, the life is better, especially when you're with your family," said Salhi. When he heard the news of the program changes he was confused about what to do. "I was ready to apply this week … but I don't think I have a chance to apply this year because under my company there are nine people there waiting," said Salhi. He added that some of his coworkers' work permits expire this year but his expires in 2026, so their applications will probably be put forward before his. The territory has said of the 90 open spots this year, 70 applications will be accepted from Yellowknife employers, 10 from employers in other communities, and 10 Francophone applications. IDs and licences may end up in limbo, says MLA Great Slave MLA Kate Reid said at the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that she was worried about people impacted by the new limitations to the nominee program and newcomers with expiring work visas. She said people waiting for visa renewals from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) while waiting for the nominee program or other federal streams can be left in a gray area. "I am worried that more people will find themselves in limbo waiting on work visa renewals and paperwork headaches that are associated with territorial services," said Reid. The limbo state, referred to as maintained status, happens when a person's file is being processed. Reid added that with position cuts at IRCC, visa renewal times are likely to increase. "Meanwhile, the N.W.T. cancels your driver's licence and health-care card, adding to more frustration," she said. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland said foreign nationals on maintained status are eligible to extend their health-care coverage and drivers licences with valid proof that they are on maintained status. She said they should contact the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority and the Department of Infrastructure to confirm the process and what documents will be required of them to do so. Cleveland said having further conversations with the federal government around immigration is top of mind. She said she has written letters and placed phone calls at the political level, while her department is doing the same on an "official" level.
CBC
20-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Fort Smith, N.W.T., travel service aims to be the Expedia of the North
Booking travel in the North isn't always straightforward, but a new travel agency in Fort Smith, N.W.T., hopes to change that and potentially improve medical travel across the territory. Rashmi Patel and Mildred Martin created Wintergreen Travel two years ago. They had seen a noticeable gap in medical travel management and wanted to help fill it. Now, they are expanding and want to simplify travel for all Northerners — not just medical travel but also for leisure or work — by developing an online platform they describe as a northern version of Expedia. Patel and Martin's website will allow travellers to book flights, hotels, and local activities in one place. Martin said that the idea is to improve the travel booking process in the North, particularly in smaller communities. "So that way, the smaller airline, the smaller accommodation providers in the communities, they would all just be on one platform," Patel said. "And we'd be able to book everything easily, in one click." Wintergreen Travel is working with a Yellowknife-based developer to create the platform, which they expect to launch later this year. Patel said there has already been strong interest from communities across the North. Patel and Martin said the platform could also help boost local tourism by making it easier to book unique northern experiences, and could significantly benefit small businesses by increasing their visibility. For example, Patel said, it could be a one-stop site for someone who's on duty travel to access information on where to eat, or access a tourist activity. "They would spend their per diems in the community and have things to do that they normally wouldn't have done," Patel said. "Instead of going back to their hotel room and watching TV." Daniel Wiltzen is the economic & tourism development officer for the town of Fort Smith. He agrees that the website could significantly boost tourism in the North by putting local businesses on the site that may not already have a digital presence. "Putting them on the map is great for their growth. It's great for the community's growth, and it's good for the platform they're trying to build," he said. "It's super exciting for Fort Smith." Wiltzen believes Wintergreen Travel could also help expand the local tourism season. Currently, summer is the primary tourist season in Fort Smith, with several popular events like the Slave River Paddlefest, the Fireweed Festival, the Dark Sky and the Whooping Crane Festivals. A digital platform that highlights all local operators in one place could help open up other seasonal options, Wiltzen said. "The Town of Fort Smith is actively engaging tourism as an economic driver, and having a locally-owned and operated business share that mission is incredibly exciting," he said. Wiltzen said that Wintergreen Travel, a majority Indigenous and female-owned local company, is also an inspiring success story for Fort Smith. Making the process smoother for medical travel Patel and Martin, both former benefits officers with the N.W.T. government, said they wanted to use their experience as civil servants to try to improve medical travel services in the North. "I know it's stressful enough dealing with your health," Martin said. "I thought we could help them make the process smoother and less stressful for the clients." Martin said that many patients face issues such as sudden scheduling changes, trouble finding transportation, and difficulties securing accommodations. They wanted to create a service that would help ease that stress and make the process smoother for those who need it. The business is already the top-ranking agency for N.W.T. government medical travel, its primary client. Patel said they hope to expand to include all Northern residents, but that will take time. Martin said another essential aspect of their services is documenting and tracking issues that come up with medical travel and presenting that data to government officials, who can hopefully work to improve the process. "There's a lot of inconsistencies. There's a lot of people left by the wayside," Patel said. "[By quantifying the data] we can give them a solution on how to prevent [these issues] as well."
CBC
13-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Wildfire risk 'very much in the mind' of CRTC as it mulls new FM licences in Yellowknife
Social Sharing The risk of wildfires in the Northwest Territories is one of the main reasons a new commercial FM radio licence could be granted in Yellowknife, according to an official with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC on Wednesday wrapped up a two-day hearing in the city, looking at two separate applications for new FM licences. Scott Shortliffe, vice-president of broadcasting for the CRTC, said the devastating 2023 wildfires in the territory — which forced the evacuation of several communities, including Yellowknife — illustrated the "vast importance of having community information." "Unfortunately, because of climate change, we know that Northwest Territories is subject to the possibility of more forest fires in the future — and I think that's certainly something that is very much in the mind of the commission," he said. "It's certainly not the only factor, but I think that we would consider that much more seriously in the case of Yellowknife than we would, say, in the case of Calgary or Vancouver or Montreal." This week's hearing comes just two years after the CRTC denied an FM licence application from Yellowknife-based Cabin Radio, saying the local market in the N.W.T. capital couldn't support another commercial station. Shortliffe said that at that time, radio stations across Canada were still struggling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Advertising was slashed, all the commercial radio stations lost a great deal of revenue," he said. Things have changed since then, he added. "What we've seen is a quite a bit of recovery, not necessarily quite to pre-COVID levels, but a steady improvement in the economic condition. And one of the things we're listening to [at this hearing] is what that means for the Yellowknife market." Two applicants have applied for a new broadcasting licence in the city, including Cabin Radio which is giving it another shot. It currently operates a news website and online radio station, but does not have a terrestrial radio licence. The other applicant is Vista Radio, a B.C.-based company that currently operates True North FM in Yellowknife along with other FM stations in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. Both applicants made their case to the CRTC on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the commission heard from a variety of intervenors who spoke in support of or against the applications. Many of the most passionate intervenors spoke in favour of a licence for Cabin Radio. "Cabin has built a reputation over the past seven-plus years of providing relevant, thoughtful, analytical, and balanced journalism on issues across the North," Sheila Bassi-Kellett told the commission. Bassi-Kellett — who was Yellowknife's city manager during the 2023 evacuation — also said Cabin Radio was "invaluable in triangulating information from both governments" during that emergency. Shawne Kokelj, a local retired hydrologist, said she wished Cabin Radio was on the FM dial during the evacuation, as internet service is not always available or accessible for all residents. "To have that available ... for us, that would have meant easier access to information from our cabin, access from the vehicle while we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to prep everything," Kokelj said. Some also spoke up in favour of Vista Radio's application. Jeff Kincaid from Yellowknife's Co-op grocery store said the company's True North FM has done a lot for the community. "They have been co-hosts and partners with us for a food drive in Yellowknife for over 25 years," he said. Kaila Jefferd-Moore, project director at the Northern Journalism Training Institute, spoke up in support of granting both licence applications. "I think the more opportunity for northerners to share their voice and be heard on the news is a net-positive for the territory," she said. "I will also add, I think a little bit of competition is healthy." Could be 2 new stations, could be none Cabin Radio and Vista Radio are not necessarily in competition for a single licence, according to Shortliffe. "At this point, anything is possible. Neither might get a licence, one might get a licence, both may get a licence," he said. "That's very much the discussion that will be taking place with the commissioners, after they've heard all the evidence at this public hearing." Shortliffe said he was pleased by the turnout at the hearing, and acknowledged the crowd that seemed to show up for one applicant in particular. "Certainly the support that we've seen for Cabin Radio in the room yesterday in the hearing room was very notable," he said on Wednesday morning. "I am sure that it will be noted by the commissioners, but of course I can't tell you how much that will affect their decision-making."
CBC
28-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Northern entrepreneurship program focuses on Indigenous languages
A group of Indigenous entrepreneurs from across the North were in Whitehorse last week, learning about building sustainable businesses and livelihoods with a focus on Indigenous languages. The participants in the EntrepreNorth initiative are from all three territories. The Whitehorse event was the second of three in-person meet-ups, with a final one planned closer to spring. EntrepreNorth is a Yellowknife-based organization that offers support and training programs for Indigenous entrepreneurs. The United Nations has declared 2022 to 2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, and so EntrepreNorth decided to put the focus of its sixth iteration of its Entrepreneur Growth Program on Indigenous language innovation too. The organization has been working with a cohort nine individuals, each working on some kind of project or business focusing on an Indigenous language. Xina Cowan, director at EntrepreNorth and co-lead, says the goal is to blend cultural programming and business education. "How can we create an experience for people that is anti-hustle and really quite restorative — so that they can heal and take care of themselves as they're building their business?" Cowan said. Carl Jr. Kodakin-Yakeleya, from Tulita and Deline First Nations, N.W.T., has a business called Ever Good Medicine and he's focused on the Dene Kǝdǝ́ (Dene Kede) language. Ever Good Medicine delivers workshops and programs designed to teach people about traditional medicines and the protocols behind them. "What we believe is that … using our language, it activates the medicine. That makes [the medicine] … stronger," Kodakin-Yakeleya said, explaining how people would speak the language while harvesting medicines. He says participating in the EntrepreNorth program with other entrepreneurs from across the North is fantastic. "We bounce ideas off of each other," he said. Pallulaaq Friesen's business is called Arctic Acting Inuit and is based in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. She is aiming to make language learning interactive with technology available now, using everything from films, videos, and live events like theatre. Her language of focus is Inuktitut. Participating in the EntrepreNorth cohort, Friesen says, has helped incredibly with planning her business. "I know what I want to do and what needs to be done," she said. "It has been inspiring just to meet other people that want to keep [their Indigenous language] alive and share it with their communities and the world too," Friesen says of meeting, learning, and spending time with other northern neighbours. Joelle Charlie was born and raised in the Northwest Territories and now resides in the Yukon. Charlie is focused on the Gwich'in language and is planning to create an online language course. "People can learn the language self-directed, and it'll have recorded videos of lessons that I'll be teaching." She had always wanted to be part of one of the EntrepreNorth cohorts and when the theme of Indigenous languages was announced they knew it was the right time to apply. Charlie says she comes from a line of strong language matriarchs and says this work is deeply personal and very meaningful. Charlie hopes to expand her project to include the Kaska language sometime in the future. "Our languages … belong to all of us and I really believe that it's the right of every person in my Nation and community to be able to have access and the opportunity to learn their language." Sandy Kownak, is from Iqaluit and Baker Lake, Nunavut, and her project is focused on Inuktitut and is called Uqauhivut, which means "our way of talking." She says the EntrepreNorth program is providing an opportunity for introspection. "I feel like I'm going through a transformative change in my view of the world and how I live in it," she said, describing the experience as a yo-yo between fear and excitement, hopefulness and being overwhelmed. "The number of [Inuktitut] speakers is declining and our elders are declining," Kownak said. "It's really good to have a forum where you feel safe to discuss … ideas but also learn from others as to how they're moving along." Whitney Johnson-Ward, a member of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations in Haines Junction, Yukon, participated in a two-year language intensive program in her community, focusing on Southern Tutchone. She is now continuing the legacy of what her parents began with Long Ago People's Place, or Kwädāy dän k'enjì, a cultural tourism business in the Yukon. Johnson-Ward says it feels like just the start of her journey as a language learner but she says it's building her confidence.
