Lisa Thurber had big plans for her small Enterprise business. 

In 2014, she cashed in her pension to purchase what would become LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place, the only gas station in the South Slave hamlet of about 120 people. 

With plans to renovate the gas bar, Thurber SA国际影视传媒� an Indigenous business school graduate born and raised in the territory SA国际影视传媒� dreamed of turning the business into more than a service station and motel: she envisioned it becoming a tourism hub situated at a key junction between NWT communities. 

To get the business off the ground, she sought support from the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC), a GNWT Crown corporation and a subsidiary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI). 

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 when Thurber says she was led down a SA国际影视传媒減ath of paperworkSA国际影视传媒� lined with bureaucratic red tape and empty promises, ultimately leading to LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place being foreclosed and auctioned off for sale last year, a move she called sudden, unfair and unwarranted. 

SA国际影视传媒淭hey failed me. They absolutely and utterly failed me,SA国际影视传媒� Thurber told SA国际影视传媒 in a recent interview. 

According to Thurber, she received a $585,000 mortgage from BDIC in 2014 after her initial business plan and request for $899,000 was rejected. 

That wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 enough to pay for renovations and other expenses. She had to take out a $100,000 operating line of credit from the bank. In the years that followed, Thurber employed a staff of a half a dozen workers but struggled to pay off her debts. 

Thurber said LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place was hit hard by the high cost of trucking water from Hay River SA国际影视传媒� she was SA国际影视传媒渓iterally flushing money down the toilet.SA国际影视传媒� Steep prices associated with bringing in beverages and cigarettes, coupled with the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 minimum wage increase, further hurt the business, she said. 

Thurber was soon forced to scale back the storeSA国际影视传媒檚 operating hours and closed the business for a few weeks in January 2019 while she sold off some equipment to try to make ends meet. That same month, Thurber said she was notified by the BDIC of the businessSA国际影视传媒� foreclosure. The foreclosure was enforced by a NWT Supreme Court order. She said she was behind by only two monthly payments.

SA国际影视传媒淭he government used the (January 2019 closure) as a way to say, SA国际影视传媒榮heSA国际影视传媒檚 abandoned the business.SA国际影视传媒� That was not true. There were no negotiations, no discussions. They just foreclosed on me,SA国际影视传媒� said Thurber, adding ITI cited her lack of audited financial statements as a factor in the foreclosure. 

In arrears before LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place was shut down, Thurber said she was given far less time to repay her debts than other indebted NWT businesses.  She pointed to Concept Energy Services Ltd., ordered last year by a judge to repay nearly $2 million after the company defaulted in 2017 SA国际影视传媒� stemming from a BDIC loan in 2011. The company is owned by Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson.

Seeking accountability from the government, Thurber wants to know why her business SA国际影视传媒� an Indigenous-owned tourism attraction that created jobs in the community SA国际影视传媒� was foreclosed on when others enterprises in arrears havenSA国际影视传媒檛 been. She added that Simpson has been supportive of her efforts to get answers from the GNWT. 

SA国际影视传媒淲hy me? Why am I being punished? I should have been a success story for the BDIC as an Aboriginal woman in the tourism business,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淢y vision was to put Aboriginal tourism on the map, and I did. (LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place) increased tourism in Enterprise. I increased employment, I brought community events to the community. I had community support,SA国际影视传媒� continued Thurber. 

Thurber said her experience speaks to an overall lack of support and guidance from the government SA国际影视传媒� at odds with the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 mandate to nurture Northern businesses. 

SA国际影视传媒淭he government isnSA国际影视传媒檛 running programs, they are running a high-priced loan sharking office,SA国际影视传媒� said Thurber.

Legal action never SA国际影视传媒榯aken lightly or in hasteSA国际影视传媒� 

While confidentiality rules prevent BDIC from commenting on the foreclosure of LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place, Industry, Tourism and Investment spokesperson Drew Williams said the Crown corporation explores all avenues and remedies before taking legal action against a client.

SA国际影视传媒淏DIC does not ever SA国际影视传媒榳antSA国际影视传媒� to take legal action against a client and certainly the decision to do so is never taken lightly or in haste. As a rule, they will try to work with borrowers that are in arrears as much as reasonably possible to prevent such actions,SA国际影视传媒� stated Williams in an email, adding legal action is determined on a case-by-case basis. 

Payment deferrals and loan restructurings are mulled before that happens, he added. 

SA国际影视传媒淚f a borrower has a reasonable proposal, the court will generally extend a deadline for the proposal to be considered,SA国际影视传媒� continued Williams. 

Pointing to annual reports from BDIC, Williams noted that along with BDICSA国际影视传媒檚 $585,000 loan, LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place received a $20,000 contribution from the Crown corporation plus a contribution of $8,850 from ITISA国际影视传媒檚 Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Policy (SEED). 

SA国际影视传媒業 need to fight for other businessesSA国际影视传媒� 

Apart from leaving Enterprise without a service station along a highway where they are scarce, Thurber, now bankrupt, said LisaSA国际影视传媒檚 Place has had an immense impact on her personal life. 

SA国际影视传媒�Because we (me and my children) lived at the residence of the business.  The foreclosure left us homeless for a few months. My kids still refer to Enterprise as home.  They ask if we will ever be able to go back. 

"I should have been able to pass the business onto my children,SA国际影视传媒� she said. 

Thurber wants her file to be reviewed. But most of all, Thurber said she wants to make sure other Northern businesses donSA国际影视传媒檛 have a similar experience. 

SA国际影视传媒淚 want to make sure this brings some change for other Aboriginal businesses. I need to fight for other businesses. I might not be able to save me, but maybe I can usher in change.SA国际影视传媒�