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dam-l note ref to hydropower for Nunavut
Manitoba, Nunavut sign trade, co-operation pact
'We share with you a vision of Canada that is not just east and west'
By David Kuxhaus, Winnipeg Free Press, 22 Feb 2000
RANKIN INLET, Nunavut -- An historic deal between Manitoba and Nunavut was
consummated yesterday in an igloo, over bannock and hot tea, while sled dogs
bayed outside as the late-afternoon sun began to fade on this Arctic
village.
The agreement, aimed at promoting further trade and co-operation between the
two regions, is the first of its kind for the fledgling northern territory
that was created just last April.
Premier Gary Doer said the potential of the North cannot go untapped.
"We share with you a vision of Canada that is not just east and west, but
north and south," said Doer.
The signing ceremony at the local school featured a drum dancer, traditional
singers and a choir of schoolchildren.
Rankin Inlet, a community of about 2,500, is located more than 1,400
kilometres north of Winnipeg on the coast of Hudson Bay.
Afterward, Doer donned an Inuit parka, and braving temperatures below -30 C,
entered a nearby igloo built especially for the occasion.
Inside, a lamp called a qulliq was lit, using seal oil and moss. Outside the
igloo, a frozen caribou head lay to one side of the entrance and two seal
carcasses were propped up against the other. A fishing spear was planted
near the top of the entrance.
Manitoba already does between $250 million and $300 million worth of
business with Nunavut each year. Building on that, however, presents immense
challenges.
At 2.2 million square kilometres, the new territory is more than twice the
size of Ontario, yet it has only 26,000 residents, most of whom are Inuit.
There are only 20 kilometres or so of paved roads in the territory. And
that's a problem. Without a road linking it to the rest of the country,
Nunavut is destined to remain a string of isolated and underdeveloped
communities.
"It certainly constrains us," said Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik.
It's estimated that an all-season road connecting Nunavut with Manitoba
would cost $1 billion.
"I would like to fulfil my dream of one day driving from my home territory
into Manitoba in what is certain to be the most beautiful car trip in
Canada," said Okalik.
Doer said Manitoba is interested in the project, but added the federal
government would have to be involved.
Nunavut also needs hydro power. However, building a line from Manitoba would
cost about $300 million.
Doer said yesterday that if mining prospects are developed, it could greatly
reduce per-unit costs.
In the more immediate future, Doer said he would like to develop a training
centre in Churchill where people from Nunavut could learn trades.
Okalik said he also wants to promote tourism. For many, the territory
remains the last great unexplored frontier, boasting stunning scenery from
the sheer cliffs on Baffin Island to wildlife ranging from polar bears to
muskox.