The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce expressed disappointment with the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 draft Emerging Stronger strategy for economic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The long-awaited strategy maps out key areas of recovery such as creating jobs, diversifying the economy, building wellness and increasing government efficiency and was tabled by Premier Caroline Cochrane on May 31.
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In an open letter addressed to Cochrane on June 3, the chamber said the draft SA国际影视传媒渄oes not provide an actionable plan to support the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 economic future.SA国际影视传媒�
Chamber president Tim Syer and executive director Deneen Everett pointed to SA国际影视传媒渧ague action itemsSA国际影视传媒� in the draft like SA国际影视传媒渟eek to assist the tourism, aviation, construction, hospitality and the mining sectors to position for survival and eventual rebound.
SA国际影视传媒�(They) donSA国际影视传媒檛 inspire confidence in the governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to support economic recovery for the Yellowknife business community. The government has an obligation to do more than SA国际影视传媒榮eekSA国际影视传媒� to support these critical industries SA国际影视传媒� we need an actionable plan with budgets and time lines,SA国际影视传媒� the Chamber representatives stated.
While the plan includes broad time lines for action items, it attaches no budgets to those items.
The chamber detailed several recommendations based on Emerging Stronger where it feels the GNWT should focus its action plans.
Referring to its Vote Growth platform from the 2019 territorial election, the chamber leaders said a lack of fibre redundancy in the NWT can cost Yellowknife businesses $4.75 million in gross domestic product (GDP) during one-day internet outages.
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The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the importance of broadband infrastructure and the chamber said it lauds the commitment in Emerging Stronger for better support for fast and reliable internet services. However, the business lobby group also recommends the GNWT work with Northwestel to support the Yellowknife Fibre Redundancy Project SA国际影视传媒渢hrough a combination of financial support and joint efforts to pursue federal funding to make this $20-$25 million project a reality.SA国际影视传媒�
The chamber said it learned in its discussions with the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association that there arenSA国际影视传媒檛 enough tutoring and educational resources for people who take the trades entrance exam.
SA国际影视传媒淥ver the past five years, only 53 per cent of NWT residents who wrote the exam passed on their first attempt, delaying, or ending nearly 300 apprenticeships,SA国际影视传媒� it said.
For the development of more skilled tradespeople in the NWT, the chamber recommends the GNWT include an action item for better support for people taking the exam.
The chamber also said its membership seeks the creation of an NWT Builders Lien Act and inclusion of that act in the Emerging Stronger plan to help ensure NWT construction companies get paid on time for their work.
In its discussions with the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, the Yellowknife Chamber heard that the GNWT should seek broader federal funding opportunities for infrastructure projects like the Taltson Hydroelectricity Expansion Project and Slave Geological Province Corridor.
The chamber recommends that action be included under the SA国际影视传媒渆xpand and diversify the economySA国际影视传媒� section of Emerging Stronger.
