I hope I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 snore.

The woman beside me on the tightly-seated Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft was someone I knew from Yellowknife. So I was a bit self-conscious after we finished our cordial chat and agreed we needed to shut our eyes, as midnight was approaching.

I sleep easily while flying. All I need is a window seat, noise canceling ear buds and just enough leg-room in which to cram my six-foot-four frame. When I awoke, the full WestJet flight was on its final approach into Yellowknife, swooping through the night over the Kam Lake neighbourhood and then onto the long runway at YZF.

***

I was returning from a two-day-plus conference in the nationSA国际影视传媒檚 capital, the trip routed via Vancouver after a brief stop in Winnipeg. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce had held its first in-person AGM and conference since the pandemic and attendance was healthy and hearty in attitude and numbers, respectively.

In addition to internal matters surrounding the AGM, topics on the schedule included: the latest issues affecting the connectivity of Canadians; political issues of the day and what they mean for the business community; and pathways needed to get Canada to net zero (carbon neutrality) while growing the economy.

As a new executive of a chamber looking to renew itself SA国际影视传媒� and one in the process of refining its strategic vision SA国际影视传媒� I paid close attention to a panel discussion on the need for the chamber movement to focus on revitalizing operations to ensure sustainability and growth.

Said Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Perrin Beatty: SA国际影视传媒淲e hope that over the next two days you get a chance to meet your colleagues from across the country, that youSA国际影视传媒檒l be able to exchange ideas about best practices to look at the challenges that your chambers SA国际影视传媒� are facing and to look for ways where we can collaborate.SA国际影视传媒�

Beatty listed major issues holding the business sector back at present; the most pressing being the SA国际影视传媒渟tructural employment gap, for which there is no easy fix.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e known for the past two decades that CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 declining birthrate and aging workforce would lead to a labor crunch,SA国际影视传媒� he said, noting nearly one million jobs are currently open with little chance of filling them within a reasonable time.

SA国际影视传媒淚f businesses canSA国际影视传媒檛 find enough people, whether skilled or unskilled, our economy canSA国际影视传媒檛 grow. Our structural workforce gap is a core economic problem where policymakers of all political stripes have been sleepwalking for far too long.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e heard a lot about creating jobs. But weSA国际影视传媒檝e heard much too little about creating a sustainable workforce.SA国际影视传媒�

Beatty said Canada urgently needs a strategy that SA国际影视传媒渄oes a better job of developing the skills of women, Indigenous peoples, minorities, persons with disabilities and older workers, as well as setting out new approaches to immigration, training and re-skilling and up-skilling and cut down the talent pipeline management.SA国际影视传媒�

While later picking up tips on how to SA国际影视传媒榝uture-proofSA国际影视传媒� an organization such as the NWT Chamber, I also learned how to better stage an event, such as a seminar or conference. Some of the tech ideas, the program structure and overall production cues I witnessed in Ottawa will make for a better experience for NWT Chamber members down the road.

While cruising through myriad booths set up for various concerns to promote their wares, I was found to be a curiosity SA国际影视传媒� a welcome one, for sure SA国际影视传媒� when it was discovered I was from the Northwest Territories.

While stopped at one booth for Orchard Technology SA国际影视传媒� ultra low-cost online financial services in development SA国际影视传媒� I met TV personality Ben Mulroney.

The son of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 18th prime minister, Brian, Ben left his TV job of two decades last year, co-founded Orchard and took the title of SA国际影视传媒渃hief impact officer.SA国际影视传媒�

Mulroney told me OrchardSA国际影视传媒檚 plans include finding a test-market for its online financial services company in areas that are chronically underbanked. Such as communities in the subarctic and Arctic regions of the NWT.

SA国际影视传媒淲hat ISA国际影视传媒檓 calling our moonshot or what ISA国际影视传媒檇 very much like to do SA国际影视传媒� I want to talk with Starlink (about doing) a pilot project with us SA国际影视传媒� letSA国际影视传媒檚 see what we can do in a community, if we give them a reliable internet,SA国际影视传媒� said Mulroney, referring to Elon MuskSA国际影视传媒檚 global network of low-orbit satellites that bypasses the terrestrial internet.

SA国际影视传媒淔or a place where there are no bricks and mortar banks anywhere to be seen, what if our platform could be available on reliable internet in a remote community?SA国际影视传媒� he said, noting other businesses could then be created or drawn to the community as a new form of ultra low-cost banking is available.

SA国际影视传媒淲hat sort of businesses could be built? What sort of creativity could be online? So thatSA国际影视传媒檚, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 something that ISA国际影视传媒檓 very excited to see if I can get past the goal line. Because if we could just test it in one location, I think it will yield tremendous results.

SA国际影视传媒淵eah, ISA国际影视传媒檓 getting excited just to hear myself talk.SA国际影视传媒�

***

If I had snored during my slumber on that WestJet flight that night a couple of weeks ago, I heard no complaints from my seat mate. So, as we entered the terminal building, I bid goodnight and farewell to Premier Caroline Cochrane. It was well after midnight and she had to confront an increasingly nasty session of the 19th Legislative Assembly in fewer hours than she wanted to think about.

During the flight, I had briefly mentioned Mulroney and his company OrchardSA国际影视传媒檚 plans to the premier. I could see she was too tired and jet-lagged after flying in from a conference in Iceland to properly absorb any more than just the basic details.

ISA国际影视传媒檒l contact MulroneySA国际影视传媒檚 people in a while to see if they are still looking at a Northern business adventure. Orchard is so green at the moment, it only has one page on its website.