The Yukon town of Carcross once shared the same challenges as many Northern towns SA国际影视传媒� little economic activity, many listless youth SA国际影视传媒� but has transformed into a model for other communities to find their niche and reinvent themselves.

Justin Ferbey, deputy minister of Economic Development for the Yukon government, shared the town's success in a keynote speech at the Northwest Territories Recreation and Parks Association conference last week in Inuvik.

As CEO of the Carcross Tagish Development Corporation, Ferbey helped spearhead a trail-building program in the community that created mountain biking paths and employed youth in the community. Since then, Carcross has been recognized by many magazines and media outlets as a world mountain biking destination.

SA国际影视传媒淭oday itSA国际影视传媒檚 a success and everyone celebrates it, but at the time it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛,SA国际影视传媒� recalled Ferbey.

One of his biggest challenges was bridging the sensitive subject of culture and heritage with elders in the community.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen youSA国际影视传媒檙e first starting off, everyone wants to protect culture and heritage,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e started looking at opening up trails for people who arenSA国际影视传媒檛 from the community. It was tough actually. There were lots of arguments about it. The first three to four years it was quite difficult.SA国际影视传媒�

Perhaps the largest piece of leverage FerbeySA国际影视传媒檚 side had in the debates was the need to put local youth to work building the trails.

SA国际影视传媒淭he trails... there were huge fights about it,SA国际影视传媒� said Ferbey. SA国际影视传媒淵ou can imagine, youSA国际影视传媒檙e talking about places where people have traditional practices SA国际影视传媒� hunting, fishingSA国际影视传媒� and now we say weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to make a bunch of bike trails for Europeans. Those are huge fights.SA国际影视传媒�

Ultimately, community members decided something had to be done, especially to give local youth some more direction in life.

A main argument Ferbey heard early on was the town had to do what the community wants.

He responded that if the community wanted a giant ice cream cone, that would be nice and they could enjoy it all summer, but then it would be gone and it wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have gotten them anywhere.

SA国际影视传媒淢y point was that we have to be really cognizant of what the market wants,SA国际影视传媒� said Ferbey.

Steve Krug, recreation for the town of Inuvik, found the Carcross story particularly interesting.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey took such a big sport and theySA国际影视传媒檝e driven their economic development in Carcross to be a world-recognized mountain biking destination now,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 canSA国际影视传媒檛 speak to InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 economic development plan, but from a recreation perspective ISA国际影视传媒檇 really like to be able to identify a niche activity here that would bring people from all around the world to call it a recreation destination. Trying to find that is difficult.SA国际影视传媒�

Asked what he might see in the potential for Inuvik or the NWT, Ferbey said the ability to touch your foot in the Beaufort Sea is clearly a tantalizing proposition for people around the world. Perhaps that could be the niche industry for Inuvik.

More than 100 delegates took part in last weekSA国际影视传媒檚 conference, which was the first time it had been held in Inuvik since 2010.