Recapturing economic leakage at Northern Manitoba

By Elijah Osei-Yeboah, 2nd year MDP student

In Manitoba, development is uneven, favouring the south. One strategy the province intends to adopt to correct this imbalance is recapturing economic leakage ― reducing the expenditure on goods and services accessed outside the north. Currently, many countries and communities believe free trade promotes economic growth, therefore, it is impossible to avoid leakage entirely. Hence, the goal is to reduce it. An economic development forum was organized in Thompson April 9 – 10, 2019 for northern development stakeholders like economic development officers, chiefs, councillors and other staff of municipalities. This was seen as an opportunity to gather preliminary data for reducing leakage.

There were 100 respondents. They were given sticky notes to indicate the goods they bought outside the north, why they bought them, if they were accessible online, which new businesses can be easily established and the ones which can quickly accelerate northern economic growth. The sample size and non-probability techniques adopted (convenience and purposive) are not statistically significant but the findings can be a part of preliminary studies to recapture leakage. 

When I started my placement, the data had been gathered. My assignment was to enter and analyze the data and write a report on it. I analyzed the data with Microsoft Excel and presented the findings with charts and tables.  Some of the findings were that the two most accessed goods and services were (a) clothing and accessories, and (b) recreation, entertainment and sports (examples include electronics, events, hunting/ fishing/ camping and recreation vehicles/ equipment). The main justification for shopping outside the north was that the goods they needed were unavailable locally. Less than a quarter (22%) of the respondents purchased their goods online. Online shopping is very convenient but it is fraught with problems including delivering wrong products, items sometimes do not fit well, consumers often pay for shipping, etc. 

Elijah in front of the Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade office

IISD Placement Experience Beyond Expectations

By Naomi Gichungu, 1st year MDP student

 

Working at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) over the past two months has been fulfilling. I remember a while back in 2012 I applied to volunteer with the Institute but my application was denied since at the time, the existing internship opportunities could only take Canadian residents and Permanent Residents. My training is on climate change and environmental education. The Institute being a think tank in these two areas has therefore given me a chance to dine with the sharks. 

I did not need an intensive orientation program into the work that the organization is involved in as I have often followed its work thanks to social media. I was excited about doing some work within the Hudson Bay Inland Sea Initiative (HBISI) program coordinated by the IISD. Having met with my supervisor a couple of times prior to my start, I was well aware of the project we would be working on and I started off within my first week. I met so many new people including other interns from Germany and Mexico which only meant good company over office lunch breaks.  

As part of the research project I am to develop a stakeholder analysis of organizations working in the Hudson Bay. My supervisor provided me with books to read that would inform me what activities were taking place within the Bay. This took up the very first month including writing up the analysis report. There was a lot of learning in this first month. From the project, I learnt about the communities, the majority being Inuit and Cree, occupying the Bay and their way of life. I now can draw the Hudson Bay area without looking at a map, expertise gained from continuous reference to the map of the region. 

The second month was the busiest with our major project being to develop survey questions and a sample frame from our sample population. Time went by so fast and there was a lot to do. I had so much fun working with colleagues from the Ottawa office with a keen interest in the direction my research project was taking. So much knowledge was generated from the input of my supervisor and during meetings with the Ottawa staff. 

The month of July shall be the highlight of my work at IISD. I am looking forward to my travels to Churchill to work with organizations both at community level and government level to collect data for the survey. I am excited to work with the communities and until then, be on the lookout for my next blog and visit the HBISI website (http://www.hbisi.org/) to learn more of the great work IISD is involved in the Bay.

Northern Exposure

By Naomi Happychuk, 1st year MDP student

With my practicum coming to an end I have to say, that it has truly been an incredible summer. I learned so much, gaining practical experience, and building on my passion for northern development. Working with the Northern Sustainable Development Initiative in the city, I had the opportunity to attend various conferences and workshops and hear perspectives from a number of First Nations chiefs and Elders, government administrators, the Metis community, and private industries, particularly at the round table on “Models and Best Practices of Northern Development” we had organized in June.  I gained valuable skills in researching, writing, communication, and administration. I came to better understand the complexities of Indigenous Development in Canada.

Beluga Whale, Churchill, Manitoba

Travelling to Churchill, Manitoba and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, was an incredible way to end my practicum.  This was an opportunity to form my own perspective on development in the north and to experience first-hand, much of what I had been researching. Churchill was a great introduction to the north and I met with the Community Administrative and Economic Development Officer, the President of Churchill Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Director of the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, and the Superintendent of Parks Canada in Manitoba’s north. I also toured the port, which is the primary source of economic revenue for the town, took in some history at Dene Village and the Prince of Wales Fort, and even saw some spectacular wildlife including tundra swans, beluga whales, and polar bears!  

Rankin inlet, Nunavut

In Rankin Inlet, I felt I truly got a taste of the north. This town on the west coast of Hudson Bay, with sparse vegetation over rocky outcrops and valleys of tundra is home to about 2500 people, most of who are Inuit and speak Inuktitut. In this community, which has long been sustained by mining, exploration and surveying is abundant. Sled dogs would howl loudly and I had just missed the passing of a large caribou herd, a staple traditional food for people of the area. I also had the opportunity to visit an old Thule site, with dozens of tent rings, meat caches, kayak racks, and fox traps all made of stone. Again I met with various community members and learned more of the challenges and opportunities of development in the north. 

Naomi on a tour of a grain elevator in Churchill with Randy Spence

From these trips I was reminded of the need for more action to be stimulated from all of the meaningful discourse and thorough studies, and of the need for development in the north to come from the north with the support of southern entities, and not the other way around. This has been an incredible summer of learning and insight, as a development practitioner and as a Canadian.

Best Practices of Northern Development… And Other Insights

By Naomi Happychuk, 1st year MDP student

For the past several weeks I have been undergoing a field placement with the University of Winnipeg’s Northern Sustainable Prosperity Initiative.

Until last week I have been helping organize a virtual round table on Models and Best Practices of Northern Development. This was a tele-video conference held in the Cisco theatre at Richardson College, connecting First Nation Chiefs, community leaders, and industry representatives from across the country to discuss how Manitoba’s own northern strategy should move forward.

Roundtable on Models and Best Practices of Northern Development

It has been a great opportunity to meet and communicate with so many of the people engaged in Manitoba’s development initiatives, all with their own unique perspective over a common interest. While securing participation and planning the agenda for the event, we were met with achievements, surprises, and challenges. 

I have been reminded of some of the key lessons I learned in my first couple of years of my undergrad in International Development…

1. Politics is everything, and despite my eagerness to incite collaborative action, (Gosh darn it! Why can’t we make this work already?!), it cannot easily be evaded and at the very least must be acknowledge. -Though I remain convinced that greater communication (particularly over a tasty lunch) could solve most of the world’s problems.

2. Though we may think the more we learn the more clarity we acquire, it is actually quite the opposite, and the more I learn the more complex (and perplexed) are my realizations!

3. This society is overworked! Everyone is busy! You would be amazed at what can happen last-minute! (Or the day before the main event!)

This practicum has enabled me to learn professionally, personally, and academically, experiencing “real” work (I now understand why people get so excited for the weekends), learning about what is important to me and what I want to look for in a future career, and expanding my knowledge of, and passion for, development.  

After a successful and insightful round table, I am now working on a few projects relating to climate change and adaptation in Canada’s North, and putting together a document on best practices of Northern development. With this I know I have much more learning to do!

Evelyn Poitras (L), Ovide Mercredi (C) & Naomi Happychuk (R) at the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Summit