Iqaluit rolls out first new economic development plan in 15 years

Iqaluit’s first economic development plan since 2001 was drafted and approved by council last year, after almost two years of community consultation. (FILE PHOTO)

Iqaluit city councillor Kuthula Matshazi at a community economic development meeting Feb. 11 during which the city’s new economic development plan was presented to the public. “We have to go out and sell ourselves and our vision,” Matshazi said. (PHOTO BY BRIAN PEHORA)

The City of Iqaluit is rolling out its new Community Economic Development Plan, which aims to support new entrepreneurs and make Nunavut’s capital a more business-friendly place.

The city’s first new economic development plan since 2001 was drafted and approved by council last year after almost two years of community consultation.

The report, officially launched during the Northern Lights conference and trade show in Ottawa last month, was presented to Iqalungmiut at a meeting Feb. 11.

“I think one of the key sectors we’re looking at is working with the business sector,” Kuthula Matshazi, an Iqaluit city councillor and chair of its economic development committee, told Nunatsiaq News.

For one, the city wants to review its business licensing by-law to help clear hurdles and delays for those trying to obtain and renew licenses, a process Matshazi said currently “takes forever.”

“Also, in terms of the level of fees that are being charged, one thing we see is that big business pays the same as a small business, or someone operating out of their home,” he said. “We want to build equity into the system.”

Small business extends to the city’s many independent artisans, to whom that city would like to offer better support to develop and sell their crafts, Matshazi said.

Those are just some of the goals laid out in the plan, which will gradually be implemented in collaboration with different levels of government and other local organizations.

The plan is built around eight sectors and committee members have been assigned to lead in those sectors and document progress.

In addition to Business and Arts and Crafts, those sectors include Tourism, Education and Training, Environmental and Renewable Resources, Infrastructure, Mining and Cultural and Social Wellness.

Matshazi said that even the small details count: for example, the city’s newly-passed dog by-law is designed to ensure owners clean up after their pets in common areas of the city.

Another goal outlined in the plan is to forge a stronger partnership with the city’s struggling Toonik Tyme festival, which draws tourists each year.

The city does not have a specific fund set aside to put towards the plans laid out in its report but Matshazi said projects can be funded through the city’s other budgets.

“The key thing to realize is that private sector is the engine of growth,” he said. “We’re not going to crowd them out, but we’re playing a facilitator role.”

The timing of the city’s plan is right, he added, given the federal commitment to major infrastructure projects, like Iqaluit’s deep water port.

“This is an opportunity for us to move forward, cognizant of the fact that the federal government is a willing partner to provide us with infrastructure money,” Matshazi said.

“So this is really the right time for us to make a noticeable difference to our community.”