Action Canada at the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife

Frame Lake, right next to where we are staying

This week I attended a session at the Legislative Assembly organized by Action Canada.  There were three research teams of participants from across Canada.  Each team had one topic which they focused on: the economy, governance, and health delivery in rural areas.  The teams were in Yellowknife for one week, and they presented their findings during a Public Dialogue session, and there were also questions from the audience.

Almost all of the presenters were from the major cities across Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax) and I found it funny when they said it was odd for them to be considered "Southerners" while in Yellowknife.  I know the feeling...!

On the trail around Frame Lake

I found the talks pretty interesting.  A lot of the findings I knew about already: there are a lot of natural resources in the NWT (minerals, renewable energies), and challenges include lack of infrastructure and environmental changes related to melting ice in the arctic.  Some things surprised me, though.

The NWT's gold industry started to decline in the 1990s, but then diamonds were discovered and a second boom began.  It"s estimated that this boom will only last until the 2030s or so, and a lot of people are arguing that gold and diamond revenue should be re-invested in developing the sustainable economy, focusing on things like wind and hydro-electric power.  But it's very political.

A buzz-word through-out the session was devolution.  This is like decentralization, where power is transferred from the federal government to the territory, or even individual municipality or region.  As I understand it, the Northwest Territories (like Yukon and Nunavut) have less power and authority (and financial resources at it's disposal) than the provinces.  Interesting dynamics!  So there are calls for devolution, or more power given to the territories to determine their own destinies.

One of the presenters gave a good example.  It's like receiving an allowance, or spending money you earned yourself.  The way you'll spend the money depends on how you got it.  Same thing here.

The presenters talked about 2 economic models they found in the NWT: harvest/subsistence versus resource extraction.  The resource extraction (gold/mineral mines, oil, etc) is a short term way of generating wealth, but isn't sustainable.  The problem is, that's where the majority of revenue is coming from in the NWT.

On the other hand, the harvest/subsistence model is small but growing.  This includes people like farmers and entrepreneurs.  Surprisingly, there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit growing in young aboriginal groups across the territories, which is a great way to lead towards long term economic sustainability.  Not to mention environmental stewardship and protection.

I found this interesting, because this is what my job does.  Supporting entrepreneurs and attracting more to the NWT is one way to build a sustainable economy.

Lots of float planes on Great Slave Lake

Boats, docks, and boat houses

First Week on the Job

Almost a week has passed in my new job, and here are some highlights:

• I have my own office!  With my own desk!  With a window view of downtown Yellowknife!  Pictures to come soon.
• Working in French has taken a bit of getting used to, since I haven't been in a totally francophone environment for a couple years.  But I have my dictionary and Google Translate, and so far so good.  I find it's all coming back pretty quickly.  Oh, except I'm still getting used to the French keyboard.  It's not actually a FRENCH keyboard, it's an English one, with the language setting set to Canadian French.  So it makes this: É when sometimes I just want this: ? 
• Last night the association I work for had it's AGM, so I got to network and meet some French people in town.  Everyone is super-nice.
• Tomorrow we get to meet Dennis Bevington, an NDP MP for the Western Arctic.  He's coming to our office to meet us in person, and we'll give him a presentation about all the services we offer.  And he's anglophone! 

Meanwhile, Janier and I are still looking for housing in Yellowknife.  We have a few leads here and there which we'll check out.  I want to have something lined up before it really starts to get cold.  It started to snow a little yesterday, and today (September 16th!) I saw slushy rain from my office window.

Janier is on the job search, but I'm sure he will find something really quickly.  He had an interview the other day at the YWCA, and he's also looking into municipal bylaw enforcement and maybe also substitute teaching!  The lady who we're staying with is extremely well connected in town, and she's helping Janier with the job search.  She's helping us find housing too.  And her husband helped us pick up our boxes of stuff from Greyhound the other day.  Actually they are helping us with most things!

More photos coming soon...

On The Road, Part 2

We drove for most of today, from Westlock, Alberta to Enterprise, Northwest Territories.  Here are some photos from our drive:

Burnt forests, north of Edmonton

Wheat fields on the Mackenzie Highway

                                                                                                                

We made it!

On The Road, Part 1

Two days into our road trip, and so far so good.

Leaving Vancouver was quick, as we handed our apartment keys over to our landlord and said goodbye to our families.



















The first day we drove through BC, and had to wait for awhile in Savona (near Kamloops) because of a car crash.  So we decided to take some pictures:

An interesting thing we noticed since we've been on the road is people's reaction to us moving to Yellowknife:  "You're moving where?  WHY?"  "What's in Yellowknife?"  "Well....at least you have each other."

We arrived to Calgary late last night, and stayed with Janier's brother and his wife.  To the right is a picture of some wheat fields North of Calgary.

One thing we've agreed on is to only drive in the day time, since it's way easier to get back on track if we make a wrong turn somewhere.  We've made a few of those already, and we blame the confusing Albertan highway signs.

Goodbye Vancouver

This was taken from our balcony tonight - our last night in Vancouver.

We weren't able to sell the car in time, so it's coming with us.  Boxes and luggage were sent by Greyhound, which we'll pick up when we arrive.

We're still waiting to confirm an apartment in Yellowknife, and in the mean time, we will be staying with some of my co-workers upon arrival.

Travel food has been bought, the camera batteries are charged, our things are packed, and tomorrow we'll say goodbye to family before heading to Calgary.  Big day tomorrow...I hope I can sleep.

Making Lists, Packing, Getting Ready

Since we got the news of the job offer a week ago, Janier and I have been kicking into high gear to get ready for Yellowknife.

Job #1 on our to-do list: sell the car!  This has definitely been a project car for us, and we've learned how to change headlights, fix exhaust pipes, windows, paint bumpers....wow.  We'll be glad once it's sold and we can get a reliable truck for up North.

The apartment is all packed in boxes and garbage bags, and whatever we haven't given away to family is up for grabs on Craigslist, Kijiji, Buy and Sell, etc.  We plan on traveling light, and just bringing along the essentials.

Thanks to dad for helping us do a deep clean this week - we'll definitely be getting the damage deposit back!

Finding housing in Yellowknife has not been so easy.  There's a housing shortage there right now, and it's hard to know what you'll be getting if you sign a contract without being there in person.  My employer has helped us with a "Plan B" if we don't find housing right away, which is for us to stay at a friend's house in Yellowknife for September until we get our bearings and confirm something more permanent.  We might be taking her up on that offer.

For now, we're hoping everything goes smoothly with the car, and soon we'll be driving northbound!  

Job Confirmed!

I got the call yesterday that (YES!) I'd been accepted for a position up in Yellowknife.  Wow, big changes, and so much to do!

We had discussed moving up North for awhile, and we're sure that this will definitely be an unforgettable experience for my partner and I.

My goal is to keep this blog updated regularly, to keep everyone in the loop with what's going on with us.

Feel free to drop any tips, suggestions, comments or questions!