The Northern Frontier Visitors Association is debating whether to dissolve after determining it will have no home from which to offer visitor services as of Sept. 30.
NNSL file photo
In a July 28 letter, association members were told they would soon be contacted for a vote on whether the association should dissolve in October or continue “as an unfunded advocacy group.”
Visitor information is currently being offered from a desk at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre since the now-shuttered visitors centre at Frame Lake closed May 15 due to structural issues.
“No other venue after September has been offered, nor is apparently being discussed by the GNWT or the City of Yellowknife,” states the letter, which directs members to contact association vice-president Ian Henderson with questions. “Members may display brochures at the Arctic Ambassadors’ table at the airport but aside from that, we know of no space available from which to operate as a visitor information services centre beyond the end of September.”
Henderson said if government came through with financial support or a space from which the visitors centre could operate, things could change.
“But as it stands right now, that’s not happening,” he told Yellowknifer.
According to the association’s 2016 financial statements, $86,723 of the association’s revenue came from the city last year, while the GNWT contributed $161,000. The majority of revenue – $1.03 million – came from merchandise sales, something a handful of local businesses have taken issue with.
The city pitched in another $17,000 after the visitors centre closed in May, after which point Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann announced visitor services could temporarily occupy a desk at the museum. But no permanent solution had been found for the visitors centre.
The July 28 membership update adds “the city is not prepared to extend our current visitor services contract beyond its expiry date of Dec. 31, 2017.”
Kelly Kaylo, assistant deputy minister of economic development, said Schumann received a letter from the association on July 27 requesting a contribution agreement for providing visitor services be terminated starting Oct. 1.
Kaylo said the GNWT provided the visitors association support over the years, but its funding model was not sustainable.
“The idea with simply continuing with funding or moving to buildings … I don’t think was the immediate need,” Kaylo said. “The immediate need is to review what is the model that we can all collectively support to ensure good visitor information services on a sustainable basis.”
She said the GNWT is supporting the city in taking the lead on looking at what those options might be.
Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne said he thinks “the will is there” on the part of government.
“I think both the territorial government and the City of Yellowknife, as well as NWT Tourism, will not let visitor information fall through the cracks,” he said, pointing to the city’s Destination Marketing Strategy and push for a hotel levy as examples of the work being done.
But Frame Lake MLA Kevin O’Reilly is baffled by the government’s response, saying issues around the visitors centre should have been dealt with months ago.
“I just don’t get it,” he said. “Tourism is the one part of our economy that continues to grow and our government has literally done nothing to support tourism development in Yellowknife.”
As for Tracy Therrien, executive director of the visitors centre and one of three remaining staff who she said will be laid off by October, she’s just trying to move on.
“There’s people’s livelihoods at stake here,” she said. “We have to make measures to move forward. We’ve simply got no choice.”
The events that have unfolded have disappointed her, she said, especially given how passionate the staff have been about the centre.
“That’s not something that happens every day,” said Therrien, adding she put a lot of energy into the building.
Sheila Bassi-Kellett, the city’s senior administrative officer, said the association has provided great service over the years.
“It’s an awful situation for a volunteer board to have to come to,” she said. “But we know at the end of the day, tourism services need to continue on.”
She said the focus needs to shift to ensuring visitor services are available in the short-term for the upcoming aurora season, as well as determining the best long-term model.