Date
October
19
2006
Members Present
ITEM 1: PRAYER
Assembly Members
Debates of October 19, 2006 (day 11)
Topics
Statements
Minister’s Statement 33-15(5): October 15-21, 2006 Is Small Business Week
Brendan Bell
Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is Small Business Week across Canada.
Every year for the past 27 years, the Business Development Bank of Canada has championed Small Business Week to pay tribute to the contribution that small and medium-sized businesses make to our economy.
Approximately 90 percent of businesses in the NWT are considered to be small businesses. These businesses are the foundation of our most vibrant sectors and have been key components in our emergence as a leader in resource exploration and development.
In the NWT, it is small business that provides the energy and innovation behind our increasingly competitive and prosperous northern business environment. Our tourism industry, for example, is a sector built almost entirely on the commitment, hard work and endurance of entrepreneurs and small business owners.
In celebration of Small Business Week, Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to have the honourable Member from Thebacha join me on Wednesday in showcasing a new videoconference facility now available at Canada Business NWT here in Yellowknife and also in Fort Smith. Together, my colleague and I were able to talk face to face with the general manager and representatives of the Thebacha Business Development Services in Fort Smith.
The technology we were demonstrating will allow Canada Business NWT to deliver an expanded menu of small business information, training, and services through the Alberta Business Link to our northern entrepreneurs. For business owners, particularly in Yellowknife and Fort Smith, it’s a venue through which to network with southern counterparts and those interested in and dedicated to small business and its development. We’re working to expand this service to several other NWT communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, through its support of the NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation and Canada Business NWT, is committed to supporting small business as the primary driver in the development and diversification of our rapidly growing northern economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause