Delivered on November 23, 2016
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am very pleased to be here this afternoon to provide the Committee with some perspectives from the Government of the Northwest Territories on areas where we believe the Northwest Territories can make significant contributions to the overall national objectives related to green energy, support for economic growth and development, and the knowledge based economy.
YELLOWKNIFE (November 10, 2016) — Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Wally Schumann issued the following statement today:
“The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has terminated its Monitoring, Certification and Trademark Licensing Agreements with Deepak International Ltd (DIL). DIL is no longer an Approved Northwest Territories Diamond Manufacturer and no longer licensed to use Polar Bear Diamond ® or other GNWT trademarks.
Check against delivery
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for having me here to deliver the keynote address. I would like to congratulate you on the election of a new Board of Directors who I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday.
With a combination of new and returning board members, you have identified a strong mix of experience and enthusiasm. The oversight and guidance this board will provide will be a key component to the continued growth of our tourism industry over the next year.
Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry offers enormous potential to create economic growth and diversification in our regions and communities.
In fact, while other sectors around the world are experiencing challenges, the Northwest Territories tourism sector continues to grow.
Between 2010-2011 and 2015-2016, the number of visitors to our territory has increased from 65,000 to 93,000. Visitor spending in this timeframe has also increased from $94.1 million to $167.1 million.
YELLOWKNIFE (November 2, 2016) — The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has introduced the Aboriginal Tourism Champions Program as an incentive to develop and expand authentic cultural tourism products in communities across the Northwest Territories.
The vision of the program is to develop a network of Aboriginal champions that will work to strengthen cultural tourism capacity within communities and motivate organizations to use tourism initiatives as a stimulus for economic development and cultural revitalization.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories’ economy is built on mining and exploration. Today our mining sector is the largest provider of high paying jobs and the main driver of the territorial economy.
We have committed, in our mandate, to supporting mineral exploration and the NWT mining sector with actions and investments identified in the NWT Mineral Development Strategy.
Our goal is to realize all the benefits of our mineral resources to support ongoing prosperity for NWT residents and communities.
Mr. Speaker, as investment and residency in the NWT grow, we will be able to expand and diversify our economy outside of its resource sector, in areas like tourism, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and the traditional economies.
While the GNWT is working to create investor confidence in the NWT, we are also investing to diversify our economy and to grow our communities.
Mr. Speaker, film, video, and digital media are at the centre of a growing and dynamic industry in the NWT, driving both cultural and economic opportunities and contributing almost $9.7 million to the NWT’s GDP.
This sector also provides opportunities for employment and self-employment with an estimated 24 film companies and 106 full-time equivalent jobs existing in the NWT today.
YELLOWKNIFE (October 19, 2016) – Two tourism mentorship programs are now accepting applications from Northwest Territories (NWT) residents interested in gaining insight and experience in the tourism industry.
The Youth Mentorship for Tourism Program and Tourism Business Mentorship Program are provided through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) and offer training opportunities for students, young professionals, and those new to the tourism industry.
Mr. Speaker, this is Small Business Week in Canada.
With over 90 percent of the NWT’s business being defined as small businesses, this important sector provides employment opportunities for our people, the economic diversity to balance the ups and down of the resource economy and makes our communities great places to live.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment helps create the economic environment NWT entrepreneurs and small business owners need to invest, take risks and prosper.
