In dreams begin responsibilities

JOHN THOMPSON

KIMMIRUT – Several years ago, Shelley Forbes’ Grade 2 and 3 students had few ideas of what jobs they wanted to do as adults.
The most common answers were garbage collector, truck driver and hamlet worker.

But this year her class at Qaqqilik school surprised her. Take her son, Saimaniq, who answered: “When I grow up, I want to be an undercover agent, or a suicide prevention worker.”

Astronaut, computer geek, woodcutter, zookeeper and magician were answers given by other kids, along with musician, engineer, carpenter, ranger, wildlife officer, mechanic and artist.

Some children even suggested FBI agent and SWAT team member, influenced, obviously, by U.S. television.

There are probably not many job openings for secret agents and zookeepers in this tiny community of about 400 residents – or trees for lumberjacks to cut down.

But Forbes says it’s promising that these children are now looking beyond the borders of town.

“They’ve really opened up,” Forbes says.

Her students may have a few more ideas after last Thursday, when more than a dozen businesses and organizations set up booths inside the school gym during a trade, service and career fair, sponsored by the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The purpose? To get residents thinking about what kind of business opportunities might exist in their home community.

Hal Timar, the chamber’s executive director, suggests hairdressers, coffee shops and take-out food joints as possibilities for businesses that could be set up in small, isolated communities such as Kimmirut.

“There are always other opportunities in communities that you don’t think of,” he says.

But the stars of the trade show weren’t business people or bureaucrats, but four Inuit high school students from Iqaluit, who tagged along to share their plans to start their own business.

Derek Akpalialuk, Patrick Bryan, Seane D’Argencourt-Printup and Daniel Verreault hope to one day start an Internet café and a courier business in Iqaluit.

This school year, the four students spent nine hours each week developing their business plans. In exchange, they will receive a class credit for their work.

But the students say they’re less interested in this than helping their community and making money on the side.

“A lot of our parents work in government, but I think the community could get a lot of help from businesses like ours,” says D’Argencourt-Printup.

The students also plan to compete in the E-Spirit National Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition, which is organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Last year’s team from Inuksuk High placed in the top eight, against almost 100 other groups, for their spoken presentation on their plan to set up a business that caters country food.

This year’s students from Iqaluit hope to place in the top three, and win a cash prize.

As well, both business plans put to use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles, they say. For example, they imagine a courier services that supports the environment by delivering packages by bike during the summer, and a storefront that isn’t cluttered with garbage.

The same day as the trade show, Skills Canada held a competition where students had to build a tower out of dry spaghetti and marshmallows.

The contest, said organizer Michelle Jacquard, was to encourage students to consider taking on a skilled trade when they grow up.

Hairdresser, graphic designer, plumber and carpenter are a few examples she mentioned of trades that students in Nunavut could consider.

Also joining the trade show were representatives from the armed forces, who conducted aptitude tests to let students know what kind of jobs would be available to them in the military.

“It’s all about giving them hope and giving them options,” said Capt. Jeff Gauger.

Other organizations, such as the Workers Compensation Board, visited to teach students that they have the right to refuse tasks at work that are unsafe.

The Baffin Chamber of Commerce started these trade shows with visits to Sanikiluaq and Pond Inlet last year, and a visit to Grise Fiord and Resolute this September. The goal is to visit each community in the region every two years, says Timar.

About $500,000 is budgeted for the trade shows each year, with funding provided from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the GN’s department of Economic Development and Transportation.

If the trade shows can inspire a few kids in each community to start a small business, the cost of holding the shows in the long run will pay for itself, says Timar.

“They’re the mentors for the next generation,” he says.

“In 30 years, you’ve made a tremendous difference.”