A self-described Aboriginal business owner has called out cabinet minister Katrina Nokleby in a Facebook post over alleged non-communication and lack of accountability related to her failed business, and she elicited a response from Nokleby.

Posting in the NWT Politics and Society group on Aug. 4, Lisa Thurber-Tsetso said the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) and NoklebySA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渦nfair treatment and foreclosure of an Aboriginal tourism business in the NWT proves your lack of concern and recognition of changes that need to be made under your responsibility as minister to ensure Aboriginal businesses in all 33 communities are considered priority over non-Aboriginals.SA国际影视传媒�

In 2014, Thurber-Tsetso cashed in her pension to purchase a business that would become Lisa's Place, the only gas station in Enterprise. But after a long and expensive process full of red tape, the Business Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC), a territorial Crown corporation, foreclosed on her business last year. Nokelby, as ITI minister, is responsible for the BDIC.

RELATED REPORTING: SA国际影视传媒楾hey failed me:SA国际影视传媒� Owner of foreclosed Enterprise gas bar seeks government accountability

In a follow-up post to the group, she quoted NoklebySA国际影视传媒檚 email response, in which the minister said she has been working to set up a meeting, but that SA国际影视传媒渋n light of your Facebook post, I do not feel that this will be a safe space nor productive.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is unfortunate that you did not want to wait for an opportunity to discuss this with me personally before you decided to take it to social media," read Nokleby's post. "I apologize that you feel that your issues have not been dealt with properly by the department but I can only answer for the time in which ISA国际影视传媒檝e been in office. During which I have been very busy with issues such as Covid.SA国际影视传媒�

Thurber-Tsetso added in the post that she has spent 10 months trying to speak with the minister about her foreclosed Enterprise business, with no success.

SA国际影视传媒淚 should have used social media sooner, but was giving (Nokleby) time and opportunity to review all documents,SA国际影视传媒� Thurber-Tsetso wrote on Facebook.

SA国际影视传媒淭he minister was just in Hay River and Enterprise, and no one reached out to me. She even sat in (Hay River South MLA Rocky) Simpson's office and couldn't call me. That is why I went to social media, I have given plenty of opportunities and only asked for a phone call to hear my side,SA国际影视传媒� Thurber-Tsetso added in a comment, referring to Nokleby's visit to Hay River on July 22.

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Nokleby joined the fray, adding to an already tense thread, saying that she has corresponded with Tsetso for the last 10 months but stated that she won't present a SA国际影视传媒渙ne-sided storySA国际影视传媒� on social media.

She added that Thurber-Tsetso is free to utilize the appeals process through the BDIC.

In an interview with SA国际影视传媒 on Aug. 5, Thurber-Tsetso said itSA国际影视传媒檚 not true that Nokleby has corresponded with her. Rather, she has only been told that the minister would eventually hold a meeting with her.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e been dealing with this right from the start. Like (for) months, Simpson has told me, SA国际影视传媒楽he'll call you. SheSA国际影视传媒檒l call you.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�

The only time a meeting was scheduled was in March, but it was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

SA国际影视传媒淪ince then, I've asked for just a phone call. You can't get the side of somebody's story without talking to them. ISA国际影视传媒檓 an Aboriginal person, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 how I do business," she said. "They make more promises to me, but they did nothing. And I can prove that.SA国际影视传媒�

She has tried going through the BDIC appeals process in the past but she said the agency referred her to its lawyer, who sent her back to the BDIC, leaving a thick trail of paperwork but few results.

Among the many questions Thurber-Tsetso wants answered, one concerns the different way her business venture was treated by ITI compared to SimpsonSA国际影视传媒檚 Concept Energy, based in Hay River, which has owed the BDIC $1.8 million.

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SA国际影视传媒淩ocky Simpson was allowed to be in arrears and for millions of dollars for months and months and months, and then sell off his assets and keep some of it. And yet I wasn't given a month to do anything. No help, no assistance. They only gave me assistance in 2014. Why? Why was I never given any further assistance, or referred to Community Futures or CanNor? They just gave me nothing.SA国际影视传媒�

But above all, Thurber-Tsetso wants accountability from the government for what she views as unfulfilled duties.

SA国际影视传媒�(NoklebySA国际影视传媒檚) department has done wrong. And it is her job as a minister to hold it accountable, and make sure (ITI officials) understand what their role is as economic development officers and lenders, and what their program is for and that they stay within their policy and guidelines,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒 has reached out to Nokleby for comment on the issues raised and is awaiting a response.