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PoliticsEconomy8TuesdayDecember32013DevelopmentofNorththefutureofCanadareportExpertcallsNortherndevelopmentadelicatedanceofstakeholdersByMARIACHURCHCanadiansshouldbelook-ingupallthewayuptotheNorthernmarinewatersforanindicationofthefutureofCanadianeconomicdevelop-mentbutnotwithoutconsid-erationofthepeoplelivingthereexpertssay.AnewreportfromtheCon-ferenceBoardofCanadasCentrefortheNorthurgesstakeholdersinNorthernin-dustrytotakeallconsider-ationsintoaccountbeforeactingonthepotentialeco-nomicboom.Thereportco-writtenbyStefanFournierandMargaretCaron-VuotarititledChangingTidesEconomicDevelopmentinCanadasNorthernMarineWaterswasreleasedinOcto-berofthisyearandstatesthattheeffectsofclimatechangeontheNorthhascausedun-precedentedaccesstoArcticwaterways.Asaresultin-dustriessuchasshippingoilandgasshingandtourismareexpectedtoboomoverthenextseveralyears.ThegoalofthereportistoprovideapictureofchallengesthatarefacingdevelopmentofCanadasNorth-whatAnjaJeffreydirectoroftheCentrefortheNorthcallsadelicatedanceofstakeholders.DelicatemeansifwearenotconsiderateofthefactthatthisdevelopmenthastobenetthepeoplewholiveintheNorthandNortherncom-munitiesthenwearemissingthemarkJeffreysaidinaninterviewwithTheJournal.Itsnoteconomicdevelop-mentatanypriceitsunderconsiderationincollaborationwiththepeoplewholiveintheNorthinparticularNortherncommunitiesandsometimesAboriginalcommunitiesshesaid.WewanttomaketherestofCanadaawareofthesecomplexitiesthatarenotoftenunderstood.Aone-size-ts-allapproachwillnotworkintheNorthbecauseoftheoftenextremevariationsbetweencommuni-tiesinparticularAboriginalcommunitiesspreadoutacrossthevastNorthernlandscape.Wedontknowawholelotabouttheselocalvariancesandweneedtohaveamuchbet-terfoundationofdatatostandoninordertoreallybeabletobothpredictandunderstand.Sosurveillanceanddatacol-lectionisoneofthebigthingswepointtoJeffreysaid.Buildingtherequiredin-frastructurepresentsanotherchallengetodevelopingtheNorthshesaidandthatin-frastructuremustbenetbothindustryandthepeopleliv-ingthere.North-SouthdivideimpedesdevelopmentAhugechallengefacingdevelopmentintheNorthisthelackofcommunicationbetweenindustryandlocalsthatoftenoccursbecauseofaNorth-SouthdivideJef-freysaid.ThecountryreallysuffersfromIthinkaNorth-Southdivideandlackofunderstand-ingwhichisfollowedbythefactthatthemajorityofthepopulationdontliveintheNorthsotheydonthavethatexperienceshesaid.Jeffreydrewattentiontonec-essarycollaborationsbetweentheNorthandsouthsuchastheuseoftraditionalecologi-calknowledgebyindustryandgovernment.Thereportshesaidisagentleremindertopolicymakersthatthereisawealthoftraditionalknowledgeavail-ablethatiftheytakethetimetogatheritcouldmakethedif-ferencebetweenthesuccessorfailureofdevelopmentprojects.IncidentssuchasthecoalspillontheAthabascaRiverfromthedefunctObedMinesitenearHintonAlta.thathasbeenaffectingFirstNationsandcommunitiesdownstreamaresituationsthathaveescalatedbecauseofalackofcommu-nicationandalackofunder-standingshesaid.Findingawaytosolvethatproblembecomesreallyper-tinent.Thingscanareupintermsofwhoisatfaultisany-bodyatfaultandwhohastheresponsibilitytorectifymattersbutthatisnotuniquetoindus-tryandAboriginals.ThatsjustanadverserelationshipwhenachallengeorproblemoccursJeffreysaid.Aboriginalpopulationshavearighttobecautiousshesaidbutoftentimesdevelopmentcanoccurwithoutadverserela-tionshipsbetweentheindustryandAboriginalpeopleswhentheycommunicateopenlyandrecognizemutualbenetsmu-tualbeingtheoperativeword.DevelopmentintheNorthisnotjustaNorthernconcernbutaconcernforallofCanadaJeffreysaid.Thereisalotatstakehere.IndustryEconomicDevelopmentIncomegapgrowinginNWTdespiteminingreportByMEAGANWOHLBERGResourceextractiondoeslittletoaddresstheincreasingcostoflivingandsocioeco-nomicinequalitiesfacedbyNorthernerssaysanewreportbyWesternArcticMPDen-nisBevingtonwhichrecom-mendschangesatthefederallevelthatwouldredistributewealthintheNWT.BevingtonsofcepublishedanewreportTacklingLivingCostsintheNWTlatelastmonthaimedatidentifyingthecausesbehindthegrow-ingincomegapintheNorthandwaysitcanbeaddressed.InthereporttheMPwritesthatdespiteexperiencingaveryhighrateofGDPgrowthoverthepastdecadeduemainlytothedevelopmentandexpansionofthreediamondminesqual-ityoflifehasnotimprovedforNWTresidents.WhilecommunitiesgetsomejobandbusinessopportunitiesandterritorialandAboriginalgovernmentsreceiveincreasedtaxesandroyaltiesthereportstatesmostbenetsofminingowoutoftheNorththroughprotstonon-Northerncorpo-rationstransientworkersandroyaltiesandtaxestothefed-eralgovernment.ThestatisticsspeakforthemselvesBevingtontoldTheJournal.Youtakeacom-munitylikeLutselKethatactuallyhasbeenengagedwiththediamondminesforawholedecadeandinthattimethenumberoffamilieswhoseincomesarelessthan30000-whichIthinkisatpovertyline-hasgoneupbyaverysubstantialpercentage.Andthatdoesnteventakeintoaccountination.Bevingtonsaidmoregov-ernmentresourcesneedtobeplacedonsupportingsustain-ablemicrobusinessprovidingforpeopleinlocaleconomieswhetheritbethroughthe45millionallocatedthroughtheCanadianNorthernEco-nomicDevelopmentAgencyCanNororterritorialgov-ernmentinitiatives.Yesweneedtheresourcedevelopmentsectorbutitisntthepanaceaforus.Itsnotpro-vidingwhatsneededforlow-incomepeopleforthoseinthecommunitiesanditsnottheonlyanswerwecanhaveforoureconomyhesaid.Weshouldbeinvestingasmuchaspossibleinthelocaleconomiesandtheresourcedevelopmenteconomiescanprovidetheirowndirection.Accordingtothereporttypicalgovernmentresponsestooffsettingissuesoflivingcostsandinequalityhavehadvaryinglevelsofsuccesswithmanyfailing.Loansandsubsidiesforbusi-nessesaimedatencouragingjobcreationhavehadmixedresultswithsomecompaniesleavingtheNWTandothersoppingdespitegovernmentassistance.ProgramsdesignedtooffsetcostssuchasNutri-tionNorth-currentlybeingaudited-havebeenmetwithwidespreaddiscontent.Eventraininginitiativesin-tendedtondpeopleaplaceintheminingindustryslabourforcearequestionedinthere-portwhichdoubtswhetherthosejobsaresustainableoraddresslivingcostinequalities.PartoftheproblemisthattheNorthwestTerritoriescontinuestomodelitselfaftersouthernjurisdictionswithouttakingintoconsiderationtheextraordinarychallengesfacedbyNorthern-ersBevingtonsaidlikeabys-malincreasestothecostofenergythathaventtakenplaceinthesouth.Weneedtothinkofour-selvesinadifferentfashionhesaid.Wecantjusttrans-plantasouthernlifestyleuphere.Weneedtolookatothersolutions.Bevingtonrecommends-andcommitstoworkingto-wards-severalchangestothefederaltaxsystemtore-distributewealthinCanadasNorthstartingwitha50percentincreasetotheNorthernResidentsTaxDeductionNRTDwhichwouldac-countforination.TheMPwouldalsoliketointroduceathirdNRTDcat-egoryforhouseholdearningsthatarethelowestintheNWT.Thosecommunitieswouldgetarefundablecreditratherthanadeductionaccountingfortheircostoflivingwhichinmanycasesis200-300percenthigherthaninthesouthsinceincomesaresolowtheyarelikelynotreceivingdeduc-tionsintherstplace.Thereportalsorecommendstheterritorialgovernmentdomoreforsustainabilitythroughretrottingcommercialandresidentialfacilitiesandinvest-ingmoreinlocalenterpriseharvestingsupportprogramscooperativesandcreditunionsandbyholdingasustainabil-ityforumalongsideitscur-rentminingandoilandgasconferences.Toreadthefullreportgotohttpwww.dennisbevington.caYesweneedtheresourcedevelopmentsectorbutitisntthepanaceaforus.Itsnotprovidingwhatsneededforlow-in-comepeopleforthoseinthecommuni-tiesanditsnottheonlyanswerwecanhaveforoureconomy.WesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonPhotoTatianaPichuginaAsweatherwarmsArcticiceismeltingmeaninggreateraccessformarinetransport.ImageOfceofMPWesternArcticIncomedisparityisgrowingnotonlybetweenCanadasNorthandsouthbutbetweencommunitiesintheNWTaswellshowsanewreportbyWesternArcticMPDennisBevginton.