Economic Leakage Study, Final Report, November 2011

The Sivunivut Inuit Community Corporation held a second public meeting on Tuesday, November 15 to present the Final Report of the Community Economic Leakage Study that was conducted in the fall of 2011. Highlights of the study revealed that a total of $380,000 is spent monthly by residents of NWR on groceries, gas and other consumer goods excluding housing costs and ultilities.  A total of 31% of that expenditure is on food and groceries followed by 17% on fuel. NWR residents spend close to $30,000 a month at coffee shops, fast food and other restaurants. The purpose of the study was to reveal business opportunities for local entrepreneurs in the hopes that goods and services would be added to the town that would improve the quality of life for residents and would keep some of the earnings in the local economy. The full report can be found here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18912741/SIVUNIVUT%20ECONOMIC%20LEAKAGE%20STUDY.Final%20Report.%20pdf.pdf

The public meeting was followed by a breakfast communiuty visioning meeting that was attended by community leaders. This was the first of many to be held by a new community visioning committee that is tasked to build on the momentum and help pave the way for a new economic era for Northwest River.

Update on September Activities, by Leander Baikie

Hello residents/beneficiaries/Board members in North West River. I am
submitting a note from the Community Development side of Sivunivut in
an effort to encourage an economic movement within our town
boundaries.

September has been a fruitful month for Sivunivut Corporation. Our
Community Economic Leakage Study consultant has been living with my
family for the month of September – a very rewarding experience to say
the least. We have been busy seven days a week to ensure we have the
data for our needs assessment, situation analysis and compiling info
from the community household surveys to help in our community
visioning process. Results are expected before Christmas.

The study results will allow residents the opportunity to fill gaps in
any future development for ourselves as beneficiaries and our
community. From other Atlantic Canadian small town leakage studies,
we can expect to see results such as a need for improved grocery,
hardware/lumber sales, business/residential development. If we study
the spending habits of our people, and learn from our results, the
current spending habits of all central Labrador residents will play a
vital role in our community’s business viability. This insight will
help better strategize an effective local economy for those willing to
start their own business ventures in North West River’s near future.

Throughout September, Sivunivut has organized and conducted a 30 hour
“Basics of Starting Your Own Business” course held two nights a week
at the Community Center. We were pleased to have had 10 people
register for the programming and feel confident that some of the
graduates will move on to the next stage of business creation here in
North West River. With an 82% aboriginal population, 62% of whom are
Inuit, we need to attract aboriginal business development funding to
act as the catalyst needed get our local economy going again! My
hope is to arrange and continue these 30 hour business prep courses
again in the New Year 2012 for the benefit of the community as a
whole.

Many thanks to Ms Tiiu Poder, past executive director of the Business
Enterprise Center at St. FX in Antigonish NS, for facilitating this
community development initiative. Thank you as well, to the NWR
Community Centre Committee for renting us the space to hold these
classes! The back room is actually a good instructional space.

Also in the month of September, Sivunivut Inuit Community Corporation
was awarded three separate grants from the Cultural Education Center’s
Program through INAC in Ottawa. These funds helped support and improve
our Inuit community craft industry by supplying, Ross Humby, Sculptor
and Bill Palliser, Carver, with materials and equipment to expand
their individual product line. This funding source has supplied our
third proposal with sufficient funds to purchase equipment and
material needed to offer jewelry making classes in our community.

The time has come to offer our entire community the tools they need to
re-learn the art of Lapidary or jewelry making. A Slab saw, 6
individual stations, polishers, tumblers and stone setting kits will
be acquired for on-going community lapidary courses. A similar course
at the Industrial Shop in the early 70’s has given North West River
the distinction as a fine Labradorite jewelry making community. Many
thanks to our own Inuit community elder John Goudie for achieving that
status.

We must all start thinking about where we want to see North West River
in 10 years and work together towards that achievable and realistic
goal of a better North West River for all. Any time, any place, I’d
love to hear any and all ideas.

By the way, our recent efforts have inspired us to create a blog site
to share our ideas on how Sivunivut’s role in the community can be
used to inspire a new future. You will also find this letter there

Cultural Secrets of Northwest River

Tonight, as part of Canada’s Culture Days, CBC is airing a program on Cultural Secrets of Northwest River. The amazing local carver Billy Gauthier, among others is featured. Be sure to tune in at 7:30 p.m. tonight – Thursday, Sept. 29. For more http://www.cbc.ca/labradormorning/episodes/2011/09/29/cultural-secrets-of-newfoundland-and-labrador/

WE NEED YOUR HELP

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US BECOME A STRONGER COMMUNITY!

Sivunivut Inuit Development Corporation is undertaking a  

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC LEAKAGE STUDY

 By now you may have received a Survey request via your email or via a notice in your mailbox. Please take the time to complete this survey and make a valuable contribution to our future planning.

DEADLINE – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

If you do not have email or did not receive a survey please click on this link to obtain an online version http://db.tt/PPY2UyO  Just copy and paste into your word documents, fill in online and return via email to our project manager, Tiiu Poder tpoder@entre-net.org  If you run into problems please contact Leander Baikie, Community Development Officer at 497-8597 or email lbaikie@sivunivut.ca. We will make arrangements to email or deliver a survey to you.

IMPORTANT NOTE 

In order for the survey to have integrity it should be traceable to its source. Otherwise anyone can fill one out and we would have no proof of its accuracy. This is why we ask for your name. But if you prefer to leave your name blank and just complete the address portion then that would be fine. The survey results will be tallied by our consultant Tiiu Poder who has a professional mandate to keep all of the information confidential. Sivunivut staff will receive only the final survey results. Please be assured that your personal information will remain private.

We thank you for your participation.

 Here is more information on why we are condicting the survey:

Sivunivut has a goal to complete an economic leakage study that will help reverse the current trend of outflow of spending from Northwest River into the neighbouring central Labrador community of Happy Valley – GooseBay. This study will identify specific business opportunities for Northwest River that would bring new businesses, jobs and wealth back into the community.

 The study will:

1. Identify a list of the top ten (10) goods and services that are regularly purchased by Inuit beneficiaries and residents in the communities of Northwest River and Sheshatshiu and are not available within the municipal boundaries of Northwest River
2. Identify and estimate the total number of dollars associated with the expenditures for aforementioned products and services by sector, community, organization and type of business.
3. Identify and estimate the total number of dollars being spent by Northwest River/Sheshatshiu community governments, band councils and residents commuting daily for work in Happy Valley – Goose Bay based on salary data, statistical profiles, and estimated expenditures
4. Identify goods and services contracts required through aboriginal business via forthcoming hydro and mining developments
5. Present a comprehensive community economic development strategy for Inuit business development in Northwest River

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC LEAKAGE STUDY AND OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION

INTRODUCTION

SIVUNIVUT Corporation represents beneficiaries within the municipalities of Northwest River and Shehatshiu inside the provincial electoral district of Lake Melville in central Labrador. Sivunivut’s mandate is to deliver programs, communications and services to Labrador Inuit residing in this area. Sivunivut is run by a Board of community directors and headed by an elected Chairperson who represents Inuit beneficiaries of Northwest River and Sheshatshiu. The Chairperson represents the views of the Sivunivut people at assembly meetings of the Nunatsiavut Government.

HISTORY

The aboriginal community of Northwest River has been used as a congregational meeting place by nomadic fur traders for the past 300 years (documented) The village was officially established as a community in 1743 when the fur trade between the Innu, Métis, Inuit and European explorers became a commercial entity. History has seen Revillion Freres and the Hudson’s Bay Company establish North West River as an isolated centre of commerce. This commerce also brought with it the International Grenfell Association’s Centre of Health Care and Educational Services. With the construction of a bridge in 1982 to span the north and south sides of the river, the central hospital shut its doors, throwing 80 jobs out of the community and forcing the once flourishing economy of Northwest River into the more central community of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. For the past 30 years this drift has continued.

WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH

It is time to reverse the trend on behalf of the Inuit residents of Northwest River and Sheshatshiu. This project seeks to;                                                                                                   1. Identify goods and services that are most needed in the community and are not available.                                                                                                                                             2. Determine revenue potential for local businesses in an effort to attract small business startups.                                                                                                                                                         3. Track expendable income of residents of Northwest River and Sheshatshiu currently being spent in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay retail and services sector.                                   4. Prepare a formal community action plan to match commercial business interests with community entrepreneurs.

OPPORTUNITIES

Nalcor Energy is Newfoundland and Labrador’s power utility. The proposed $6.2 billion Lower Churchill hydro project negotiated a strategy with the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation titled, the “New Dawn Agreement”. This agreement has provided the neighbouring aboriginal community of Sheshatshiu with an opportunity for Innu based businesses to bid on $400 million in potential sub-contracts in 2011 and increase community spending. These local Innu are part of the target market for new business start-ups.

Aurora Energy has significant uranium resources ready for development.  The proposed mine site is 150km north of the community which will be connected to Northwest River by a proposed road. If the project succeeds it will significantly increase traffic in the community with more potential to support local businesses.

Northwest River has a significant resource of educated and experienced individuals and organizations who have the ability to establish new Inuit and community owned businesses, thereby enabling a good portion of new and established money to stay within the two communities and create jobs in the process. Increased prosperity in remote aboriginal communities can be achieved through effective opportunity identification leading to a reversal of economic leakage into neighbouring communities. Revenues attracted by resident businesses through this initiative will create new jobs and will enable the Inuit and residents of Northwest River to improve levels of household income and improve the quality of community life. Better services will also attract new residents to the area.

OBJECTIVES

1. Create economic prosperity for the community by harnessing the BUSINESS POTENTIAL of Sivunivut’s Inuit beneficiaries and local residents to service Northwest River’s demand for goods and services and reverse current community economic leakage 2. Promote an entrepreneurial culture in the community.                                                          3. Seek to open up new markets and opportunities for small Inuit and resident businesses.                                                                                                                                         4. Identify gaps in community business skills and offer entrepreneurial training in the community                                                                                                                                         5. Promote pride and growth in the community and provide non-residents with the opportunity to spend more time and money in Northwest River.

THE ECONOMIC LEAKAGE STUDY

SIVUNIVUT INUIT COMMUNITY CORPORATION  has a goal to complete an economic leakage study which will help reverse the current trend of outflow of spending from Northwest River into the neighbouring central Labrador community of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This study will identify specific business opportunities for Northwest River that would bring new businesses, jobs and wealth back into the community. The study will:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1. Identify a list of the top ten (10) goods and services that are regularly purchased by residents in the communities of Northwest River and Sheshatshiu and are not available within the municipal boundaries of Northwest River                                                                   2. Identify and estimate the total number of dollars associated with the expenditures for aforementioned products and services by sector, community, organization and type of business.                                                                                                                                             3. Identify and estimate the total number of dollars being spent by Northwest River/Sheshatshiu community governments, band councils and residents commuting daily for work in Happy Valley-Goose Bay based on salary data, statistical profiles and estimated expenditures.                                                                                                                   4. Identify goods and services contracts required through aboriginal business via forthcoming hydro and mining developments.                                                                              5. Present a comprehensive community economic development strategy for Inuit business development in Northwest River.

THE SITUATION ANALYSIS STUDY

In tandem with the Economic Leakage Study, Sivunivut is preparing a Situation Analysis Study which provides a statistical account of the present status of NWR in terms of demographics and general assets. This study will also deal with the entrepreneurial strengths in the community.  Findings will be incorporated into Sivunivut’s long term plan for development of local aboriginal Inuit businesses and sustainability. When complete, findings will be posted on this site.

THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

We will respond to this study’s objectives by preparing a Needs Assessment that documents findings and sets out a course of action that meets the specific needs in relation to community development. We anticipate this will include some level of business training and education (already underway- see Ideas & Dreams) as part of a greater effort to convey business and employment opportunities within the community.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 

The completion of this study and strategy will lead to the development of an implementation plan that will address areas such as business training programs and business plan development for community members and will result in new business start-ups in the region. 

 ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT CANADA (AANDC) AND THE NUNATSIAVUT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Sivunivut would like to thank the Nunatsiavut Executive Council for approving this proposal and moving it forward. We are grateful to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (formerly known as Indian and Northern Affairs, INAC) for their financial support enabling us to undertake this important initiative. AANDC’s Jennifer Taylor must be commended for hard work and committment to the betterment of aboriginal communities in Labrador.

Welcome to the Sivunivut Inuit Community Corp. Blog

We have created this blog in an effort to create a dialogue with our community. We invite your comments and suggestions on a regular basis. Simply sign up to the RSS feed and become a subscriber. Together we can make a difference to the prosperity of of our community and our families.