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Jennifer Obleman
Monday, September 24, 2007
Business groups quiz MLA candidates
Industry groups in the NWT are asking MLA candidates to take a stand on pressing economic issues.
The NWT Chamber of Commerce, the NWT Construction Association, and the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines sent out a questionnaire earlier this month to all 52 territorial election candidates.
"We want a sense of the candidates' views on business and economic issues, as opposed to softer social issues," said Don Worrall, executive director of the NWT Construction Association.
The deadline for candidates to reply to the poll is Wednesday. Responses will be posted online.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has also contacted all MLA candidates, highlighting issues small businesses have identified as priorities, including the labour shortage and meaningful tax and red tape relief.
Collective agreement talks resume
The fourth round of negotiations between the Nunavut Employees Union and the Government of Nunavut will be held Oct. 1-5.
Talks began last December after the collective agreement expired Sept. 30, 2006. The government has not yet presented its monetary package to the union.
The union, which represents about 1,800 people in positions including nurses, college instructors, social workers and maintenance personnel, is looking for higher wages, increased cost of living allowances and better incentives for recruiting and retaining public servants.
"We've got to do something about retaining professional workers in the public service," said union president Doug Workman.
Oil prices too high, too soon
Oil prices edging over $82 a barrel may be good news for oil companies, but it's bad news for Northern communities where development is still in the exploration stages.
"It really hurts the small communities," said Carl Yakeleya, Tulita band manager and general manager of the Tulita Development Corporation.
"We have a lot of elders and people not working, and with the price going up, it costs a lot more for fuel and heat. I wish it would come down."
But the band owns the surface and sub-surface of three wells drilled in recent years and two more planned for this winter, Yakeleya noted, adding if they go into production, he'll be happy to see oil prices climb.
Gold prices, dollar on the rise
Gold prices have been topping $740US an ounce in recent days, but Rob Carpenter, president and chief executive officer of Kaminak Gold Corporation, said the rising price of gold is essentially cancelled out by the fact the Canadian dollar has risen in tandem.
"It hasn't gone up a whole lot in real terms," said Carpenter.
"If gold goes up three per cent and the dollar goes up three per cent, it nullifies it for us."
But Carpenter said though gold prices have more than doubled in the last five years, it's still undervalued, and he wouldn't be surprised to see it top $1,000 in the next 12 months.
"Then guys like me might get excited," he said.
Diamonds positive
Shear Minerals and Stornoway Diamond Corporation have released results from the first stage of processing of the bulk sample taken this spring from the Kahuna kimberlite dyke on the Churchill Diamond project.
From the first 106.6 dry tonnes of the 400 tonne bulk sample, 93.54 carats of diamonds were recovered, including two diamonds over a carat each.
"What we're working on now is determining how valuable the diamonds are, which will help us determine the economics of the project," said Shear Minerals chief executive officer Pamela Strand.
Processing is now underway on the second and third samples. Results are expected at the end of October.
Oil exploration possible
Representatives from Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard and Deh Cho First Nation met in Trout Lake earlier this month to discuss the possibility of opening the Arrowhead area up to oil exploration.
Indian and Northern Affairs officials explained the process and the legalities to the leaders at the meeting, who will take the information back to band members for discussion before making a decision.
"Everybody was interested in the idea," said Rick Phaneuf, general manager of the Sambaa K'e Development Corporation. "I think it's a great opportunity for Deh Cho communities."
A follow up meeting will be held in Fort Liard in the next two months.