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PoliticsMunicipal13TuesdayMay272014PoliticsEconomyByMARIACHURCHTheNWThasbeengivenmultipleAgradesforeco-nomicperformancebytheConferenceBoardofCan-adawhichcombinedwithhighscoresforYukonandNunavuthastheterritoriesoutperformingmostpro-vincialcounterparts.ThehighmarksweredoledoutintheboardsHowCanadaPerformsEconomyreportcardoneofsixtobereleasedoverthenextyear.ThereportgavetheNWTanAforpercap-itaincomesolidifyingatrendthathasputtheter-ritorywellaboveeveryCanadianprovincesincetheearly2000swhendatabecameavailableasaseparateterritoryfromNunavut.TheNorthwestTerrito-rieswasalsofoundtohavethehighestlabourproduc-tivitylevelinCanadaandissecondonlytoNorwayReportcardgiveshighgradestoNWTeconomyamongthe16advancedinternationalcountrieschosenforcomparisoninthereport.OtherAgradeswenttotheNWTforGDPgrowthandinflationwhileitsun-employmentratewasgivenaBgrade.AccordingtoAnjaJef-freydirectorfortheboardsresearcharmCentrefortheNorththeterritoriesrelativelyhighscoresineconomicperformanceisnotsurprising.Despiteadownturninglobalcommoditymarketsnaturalresourcedevelop-mentactivitiescontinuetobolstertheseeconomieswithgrowthrateswellabovethenationalaver-ageshesaidinanewsrelease.Theterritoryreceiveditsworstgradesforemploy-mentgrowthandlabourproductivitygrowthgradedCandD-respectively.DespiteoverallhighlabourproductivitytheNWTistheworstCana-dianjurisdictionforpro-ductivitygrowthduetoa4percentdeclinebetween2008and2012.Accordingtothereportthedeclinewascausedbyweaknessintheminingin-dustrywhichaccountsforaround35percentoftheterritorysGDP.Themajor-ityoftheterritorysminingindustryisindiamondswhichhasseeninterna-tionaldemandwaneoverthelastnumberofyearsalongwithproduction.Miningwillbeoneofthemostimportanteco-nomicdriversinNorth-ernCanadaintheyearstocomeGlenHodgsonseniorvicepresidentandchiefeconomistwiththeConferenceBoardofCan-adasaidintherelease.Readthefullreportherehttpwww.conference-board.cahcpprovincialeconomy.aspxByJACKDANYLCHUKDependingonwhosdoingthemath500000iseitheralittleoralotofmoneytospendontheRobertsonheadframe.IthinkweshouldsavethethingWaltHumphreyspresidentoftheNWTMin-ingHeritageSocietysaidlastweekafteraconsul-tantsreportontheterri-torystallestbuildingwasmadepublic.AccordingtothereportbyConcentricAssociatesthecitywouldhavetospend235000intherstyeartoshoreupthebuildingandanother200000onrepairsoverthenextdecade.ThatdoesnotincludethepriceofremovingunknownhazardssuchasasbestosandPCBsliabilityinsuranceifthepublicisgivenaccesstotheheadframeannualmain-tenancecostsorthebillforeventuallytearingitdownestimatedat1.6millionor90000overthenext25years.CityadministratorsthinkthataddsuptomorethantaxpayerscanaffordandrecommendedthatcounciladviseNewmontMiningtodestroythestructurethathasRobertsonheadframesupportersstruggletomaintainteeteringlandmarkbeenabeacononYellow-knifesskylinesince1976.ItsapartofYellowknifeIwouldhatetoseeitgonesaidHumphreyswhosethreattoimmortalizethecurrentcouncilastheauthorsoftheRobertsonsdestructioninabronzeplaqueledtothereportbyConcentric.ComparedtosomeofthebeauticationprojectsthecostsareminimalHumphreyssaid.Thinkhowmuchmoneytheyvespentonputtingpiecesofblastrockaroundtown.Peoplewhentheycomeupherewanttoseethehead-frameitsaniconicpartofYellowknife.HumphreyswillconsultwithsocietymembersbeforeJune9whenthereportwillgotocitycounciltorallythepublictothecause.Ifthecitydecidestomain-taintheheadframeitmightbeabletotrimthedemoli-tioncostfromthebudget.NewmontMininghasntbeenaskedandhasntvol-unteeredfundstocovertheeventualdestructionofthestructure.WhenMiramarMiningownedittheyofferedtoputuponeortwomilliondollarsifthecitywouldtaketheheadframeofftheirhandsHumpreyssaid.Butthecitykeptprocrastinating.RobWarburtonbelievesthatcityadministratorshavealreadyrelegatedthehead-frametothescrapheap.Apartnerinacrowd-sourc-ingcompanyWarburtonsaidthe500000pricetagforsim-plepreservationisdoablebutturningtheheadframeintoapayingtouristattrac-tionwouldrequireamoredetailedandexpensivestudy.PotentialenvironmentalissuesloomlargestWar-burtonsaidanditwouldrequireanother30000ormoretothoroughlyexaminetheheadframeanddevelopabusinessplan.PhotoJackDanylchukAconsultantreportestimatesYellowknifewillhavetospend500000topreservetheRobertsonheadframe.YouthtakeintargetpracticeJordanDaymantakesaimduringtargetshootingpracticelastweekattheInuvikYouthCentre.TargetshootingisheldeveryWednesdayfrom630to830p.m.attheyouthcentre.Otherweeklyactivitiesincludejiggingddlinglessonsandknitting.PhotoNathalieHeiberg-Harrison