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CostoflivingkeepsmineworkerscommutingNorthNumberofsouthern-basedmineworkersdoubledinlastveyears6TuesdayMarch172015INDUSTRYMININGByMEAGANWOHLBERGRisingcostsoflivingmeananincreas-ingnumberofminingjobsintheNWTareoccupiedbysouthernresidentswhowouldrathermakethecommutethanmoveNorthaccordingtoareportreleasedlastweekbytheNWTBureauofStatistics.Thereportwhichhighlightstheresultsofasurveyconductedin2014withmineem-ployeesintheterritoryshowsthenumberofnon-NWTresidentsworkingforminesintheNWTalmostdoubledoverthepastveyears.Apartfromlikingwheretheylivethere-sultsindicatecostoflivingisakeydeter-renttosouthern-basedemployeesmakingthemovenorth.ForthosewhohadneverlivedintheNWTover80percentcitedthecostsofhousingandutilitiesasmajorconcernswhenconsid-eringrelocation.Forthosewhohadprevi-ouslylivedintheNWTcostoflivingwasthemainreasonstoppingthemfromrelocating.Over80hadmajorconcernswiththecostofhousingandutilities.ForthosewhohadneverlivedintheNWT75werecon-cernedwiththedistancefromextendedfamilyandjustover70feltthecostoffoodwouldbeanissuethereportstates.Furtherthecostoftransportationavailabilityofgoodsservicesandspousesemploymentedu-cationwerealsomajorconcerns.GenerallythosewhohadneverlivedintheNWThadmoremajorconcernsthanthosewhohadpreviouslylivedintheNWT.40percentcontemplatedleavingAccordingtothesurveyabout40percentofemployeeswereconsideringmovingfromtheNWTinthenext12months-especiallythosewithpost-secondarytraining.Ofthosewantingtomove44percentgavecostoflivingasthemainreasonfollowedbywantingtobeclosertofamily.ThosereasonsweresharedbythosethathadrelocatedtotheNWT-20percentofrespondents-andlocals.WhilenotallemployeeslookingtoleavetheirjobswanttoleavetheNorththereportdidnotethehighturnoverbetweenminesandinothersimilarindustriesliketheAlbertaoilsandses-peciallyamongsouthernemployeeswhodontfeeltheyaremakingenoughmoney.Onethirdofemployeesarelikelyorverylikelytoseekemploymentoutsidetheircurrentmineinthenextyearthereportstates.Whilepayandbenetswerethemainreasonsforrecruit-menttotheNWTandretentionattheircurrentminerespondentsdonotperceivetheircom-pensationtobecompetitivewithsimilarjobsoutsidetheNWTabout57perceivethemtobecompetitivewithintheNWT.GoodpayrotationretainingworkersForthosechoosingtostayattheminespayandbenetswereamainpriorityamongNWTresidentswhilethosefromthesouthsaidrstandforemosttheylikedtheirworkschedule.Whenitcametocareeradvancementnon-NWTresidentswerelesslikelytofeeltheyhadopportunitiesforcareergrowthcomparedtoNWTresidentsatthemineshoweversomenon-NWTemployeesreportednotapplyingforpromotionsbecauseitwouldrequirethemtorelocatetotheNWT.SlightlymoreNWTresidentswerehiredattheminesovertheprevious12monthsincreasingthenumberoflocalemployeesby20percent.OfthosehiredmoreNWTemployeeswerelikelytohavelessthanahighschooleduca-tioncomparedtonon-NWTresidentswhoshowedthehighestproportionofuniversitydegreesat33percent.Stilleducationlev-elshaveincreasedoverallamongNWTmineemployeessince2009.Thevastmajority84percentofsurveyrespondentsweremaleand30percentwereAboriginal.TheproportionoffemaleandAb-originalemployeeswashigheramongNWTresidentsthannon-residents.Thisisthesecondsurveycollectinginfor-mationonthedemographicprolesofmin-ingemployeesintheNWTfollowingoneundertakenin2009.Ofthe3107workers2578respondedtothesurveyforanoverallresponserateof83percent.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAfterdefyingadownwardtrendindeclin-ingmineralinvestmentacrossCanadalastyeartheNorthwestTerritoriesislikelytobehithardwithamassivedropinexplorationspendingin2015accordingtogloomynewprojectionsfromthefederalgovernment.ThelatestforecastfromNaturalResourcesCanadaprojectsa54.5percentdropinex-plorationanddepositappraisalexpendituresthisyearfrom95.8millionspentin2014to43.6millionin2015.ThevastmajorityofspendingintheNWTisexpectedtocomefromdiamondswithju-niorcompaniesleadingtheway.ThelatestguresseetheNWTfallfromsixthtoeighthplaceinthecountryintermsofmineralexpendituresonceagainbelowtheYukonandNunavutwhichafterbothexperienceddropslastyearareexpectedtoseeanincreaseinspendingin2015.SpendinginNunavutisexpectedtogoupby21percentwhiletheYukonwillseegainsof18percent.Theoverallcountrywideprojectioncontin-uesonwiththedownturnwithanexpectedfallof3percenttoatotalof1.87billionspentnationally.ThisyearQuebecisanticipatedtoleadthepackwith379millioninmineralspending.NWTsIndustryMinisterDavidRamsaydidnotrespondtorequestsforcommentontheprojections.MassivedropexpectedinNWTmineralexplorationspendingPhotoDaveBroshaINDUSTRYMININGImagecourtesyofNWTNunavutChamberofMinesThenumberofnon-NWTresidentsworkingatminesliketheEkatidiamondmineabovealmostdoubledoverthepastveyears.