Dec 09, 2024 Governance & Priorities Committee

WE CAN BE ADJOURNED, AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 9TH,

[1. Opening Statement]

[00:00:09]

DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE JUST READ OUR OPENING STATEMENTS AS WE JUST HAD A SPECIAL COUNCIL.

NEXT, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST TODAY? SEEING NONE.

NEXT, WE HAVE THE ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE'S INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER, MR.

[4. Annual Report from the City of Yellowknife’s Integrity Commissioner.]

COUNCIL DID RECEIVE THE REPORT IN THEIR PACKAGE, BUT, MR. TONER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ANY COMMENTS, AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

YES. THANK YOU, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, YOUR WORSHIP.

MAYOR ALTY AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.

AS YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS SHELDON TONER, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT MY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT AS INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THE REPORT BEFORE YOU IS MY SIXTH, AND THE PERIOD IT COVERS IS THE PERIOD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2023 AND SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2024. I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD THE REPORT AND HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT.

SO JUST TO COVER SOME HIGHLIGHTS I'VE REFERRED IN THE REPORT TO TWO MEMORANDA I FINALIZED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPORTING PERIOD, AND INDEED, THESE WERE MATTERS BEGUN IN THE PREVIOUS REPORTING PERIOD, AND ADDRESSED ADDRESSED IN MY FIFTH REPORT LAST YEAR.

ONE WAS CONCERNING CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS, AND THE OTHER WAS CONCERNING CONDUCT OF MUNICIPAL ELECTED OFFICIALS DURING THE TERRITORIAL ELECTION, WHICH HAPPENED LAST FALL.

THESE MEMORANDA WERE OFFERED WITHIN MY MANDATE TO PROVIDE GENERAL ADVICE ON ETHICAL ISSUES OF CONCERN TO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE ROLE I ALSO FULFILL IN DELIVERING INDIVIDUAL, CONFIDENTIAL ADVICE AND INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS.

IN THE REPORT. I ALSO OUTLINE HOW, IN THE RELEVANT REPORTING PERIOD, I FIELDED THREE DIFFERENT INQUIRIES FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON ISSUES REGARDING HOW TO HANDLE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

I AM PLEASED THAT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN ME UP ON THE OFFER I MADE DURING THEIR ORIENTATION, AFTER THEY WERE ELECTED, TO SEEK MY ADVICE AND OBTAIN IT ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS TO HELP NAVIGATE ISSUES AROUND CONFLICTS, WHICH CAN BE CHALLENGING IN A SMALL CITY.

IN THE REPORT, I ALSO ADDRESS TWO COMPLAINTS THAT I RECEIVED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD.

THE FIRST WAS DEFERRED PENDING FINAL DISCUSSION OF A MATTER, THE MATTER THAT GAVE RISE TO THE COMPLAINT AT COUNCIL, AND IN THAT CASE, I WAS ABLE TO ADVISE THE MEMBER IN ADVANCE OF THE DISCUSSION BEFORE FULL COUNCIL AND THE COMPLAINT REMAINED IN ABEYANCE EVER SINCE AND IS INACTIVE.

I NOW CONSIDER IT A CLOSED ISSUE.

THE SECOND WAS A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE CONDUCT OF COUNCILLOR CAT MCGURK AND I CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION OF THAT MATTER WITHIN THE 2023 REPORTING PERIOD, AND DELIVERED MY REPORT SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

IT WILL BE IN THE NEW REPORTING PORT, BUT COUNCIL HAS RECEIVED THAT REPORT AND ADDRESSED IT, AND I NOW CONSIDER THAT MATTER.

ALSO CONCLUDED AT THE END OF THE REPORT.

I HAVE OUTLINED SOME PLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR.

THESE ARE PLANS THAT I'VE ARTICULATED IN THE PAST.

ONE OF THEM IS TO PERHAPS ARRANGE A GUEST SPEAKER TO OFFER ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON INTEGRITY ISSUES THAT I'VE ADDRESSED AND HANDLED OVER MY YEARS AS INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER. SO THAT'S STILL SOMETHING I'M HOPING TO DO, AND ANOTHER IS TO LOOK AT POSSIBLY EXPANDING THE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE REGARDING THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS.

PERHAPS PUTTING TOGETHER SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ALSO JUST OVERALL LOOKING AT THE BYLAW AND THE PROCESS TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY POSSIBLE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

SO I HAVE HAD THOSE OBJECTIVES FOR SOME TIME.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO PERHAPS MEETING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE NEW YEAR AND WORKING ON A BUDGET AND TIMELINES FOR THOSE PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM UNDERWAY.

SO IN CLOSING, THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE REPORT I HAVE PRESENTED.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL IN THE COMING YEAR, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THEM.

THANK YOU SIR.

MR. VAN DINE, DID YOU WANT TO PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS ON THE ISSUE OR WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL.

MR. VAN DINE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

ONLY TO SAY THAT WE WELCOME THE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

I JUST WANT TO THANK SHELDON FOR YOUR WORK, AND I LOOK FORWARD FOR YOUR NEXT YEAR'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE IDEA OF A GUEST SPEAKER ON THIS TOPIC SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING INDEED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, SHELDON, AND THANKS FOR BEING AVAILABLE.

[00:05:02]

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM COUNCIL OTHER THAN OUR ENDORSEMENT TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PASSED BY COUNCIL BEFORE, AS WELL AS THE BUDGET THAT'S BEEN PASSED, AND THEN TAKING A LOOK AT ADMINISTRATION'S WORK PLAN TO PUT ALL THOSE MOVING PIECES TOGETHER.

MR. VAN DINE, ANY--HOWEVER, THAT BEING SAID, IF COUNCIL DOES HAVE AN ISSUE THAT THEY FEEL IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR 2025, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HEAR IT, BUT MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE ARE LOOKING AT LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR 2025, AND WE'LL LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT RESOURCES AND IF WE HAVE ISSUES WITH RESPECT TO THAT, WE WILL CERTAINLY BE CHECKING IT.

THANK YOU. PERFECT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. ANYTHING FURTHER? SEEING NONE.

THANKS AGAIN, MR. TONER, FOR COMING TO PRESENT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ENGAGEMENT IN IN 2025.

THANK YOU, YOUR WORSHIP, AND WITH THAT, I'LL ASK TO BE EXCUSED.

THANK YOU. WITH THAT, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE'S 2025-

[5. A presentation regarding the City of Yellowknife 2025‐2028 Tourism Strategy.]

MR. VAN DINE IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL BE TURNING THIS OVER QUICKLY TO DIRECTOR THISTLE TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM THAT WILL BE PRESENTING THIS STRATEGY FOR YOU.

JUST A QUICK WORD TO SAY THAT WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS STRATEGY COMING FORWARD IN Q4, AND HERE WE ARE, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING COUNCIL'S VIEWS ON OUR APPROACH AND HOW THIS IMPORTANT SECTOR FOR THE YELLOWKNIFE ECONOMY CAN BE SERVED WITH THIS STRATEGY.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MISS THISTLE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I WON'T SPEAK TOO LONG BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CONSULTANTS ON THE LINE TO DO THE PRESENTATION OF THE STRATEGY, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION APPLIED FOR AND WERE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING FUNDING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND INVESTMENT SO THAT WE COULD UPDATE OUR TOURISM STRATEGY.

IT HAD EXPIRED IN 2019, BUT THEN WITH COVID IT WAS DEEMED NOT A GREAT TIME TO PROCEED WITH A TOURISM STRATEGY REVIEW.

OUR BORDERS WERE CLOSED FOR 2020.

SO THEN WHEN IT REOPENED, THAT'S WHEN WE APPLIED FOR AND WERE SUCCESSFUL TO GET THE FUNDING.

WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ENOUGH TIME HAD PASSED THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HEAR COVID, COVID, COVID DURING THE ENGAGEMENT, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANTED TO HAVE A FORWARD VIEW OF WHERE TOURISM CAN BRING US IN THE TERRITORY.

SO INTERVISTAS WAS THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.

THERE'S BEEN SOME DELAYS AS A RESULT OF THINGS LIKE STRIKES AND EVACUATIONS, BUT WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT THE CONSULTATION WAS PRETTY VIGOROUS.

ENGAGEMENT WAS IN PERSON.

THERE WERE TELEPHONE CALLS.

THEY CAME HERE TWICE TO MEET WITH STAKEHOLDERS, AND NOW WE CAN PROCEED WITH PRESENTATION OF THE STRATEGY.

THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR, MAYOR, COUNCILLORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

FIRST, A SOUND CHECK.

AM I COMING THROUGH ALL RIGHT? YES YOU ARE. THANKS.

YES. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ON BEHALF OF INTERVISTAS GAINING [INAUDIBLE] SOLUTIONS, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE TOURISM STRATEGY FOR YELLOWKNIFE.

MY NAME IS STEPHEN PEARCE.

I'D LIKE TO TAKE TEN MINUTES ON BEHALF OF THE TEAM, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.

CAN I HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STATE I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY HAS JUST RECENTLY JOINED THE MEETING.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THIS.

THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE'RE LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY.

FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIFE DENE FIRST NATIONS.

WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE METIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, METIS AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I'M HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.

ONE MOMENT, BUT WE DO HAVE A COPY OF YOUR PRESENTATION.

SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE WE'RE FOLLOWING ALONG ON OUR COMPUTERS.

OKAY. SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOULD BE PROJECT PURPOSE.

I TRUST.

YES IT IS. I'M GOING TO PULL IT UP ON MY SCREEN.

OKAY. SO THE PROJECT PURPOSE, THIS WAS A THREE YEAR PROJECT WITH THE INTENT OF BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE. I GET ASKED WHY THREE YEARS?

[00:10:03]

I ALSO SUGGEST THAT EXPECTATIONS CREATE IN THE MARKETPLACE HAVE TO BE MET OR EXCEEDED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF VISITORS ON THE GROUND IN YELLOWKNIFE.

DESTINATION MANAGEMENT IN THIS CASE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DESTINATION MARKETING.

INDULGE ME FOR JUST ONE SECOND.

I'M JUST GOING TO CALL UP MY OWN VERSION OF THE PRESENTATION.

STEVE, I CAN SHARE THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU.

OH, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.

THANK YOU, JORDAN. I'M TECHNICALLY NOT THE MOST ADEPT.

THANK YOU. SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOULD BE THE TEAM.

SO THIS IS THE TEAM, EACH WITH A SKILL SET AND A COMPLIMENTARY EXPERIENCE THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD ADD VALUE TO THIS PROJECT.

JORDAN YOUNG WITH INTERVISTAS IS A PROJECT MANAGER.

HE'S GOT DEEP EXPERIENCE WITH TOURISM PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND AVIATION.

HE ALSO HAS A FULL FLEDGED BEARD SINCE THIS PROJECT HAS BEGUN.

PAUL BRINGS OPERATIONAL EXPERTISE AS A CITY DMO VICE PRESIDENT, AS WELL AS POLICY EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT INTO TOURISM BASED LEVIES RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

GREG BRINGS ECONOMIC EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE DMO, WORKING WITHIN THE SPAN OF CONTROL OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND I BRING OPERATIONAL AND MARKETING EXPERTISE AT THE CITY AND PROVINCIAL DMO LEVEL.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

WE FIND THAT IT HELPS TO FRAME THE DISCUSSION BY FIRST DISCUSSING WHAT TOURISM IS.

AT ITS ESSENCE, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE TAKING A TRIP TO A DESTINATION OUTSIDE THEIR USUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, AND FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO BE EMPLOYED.

SO BUSINESS TRAVELERS, MEETING DELEGATES, LEISURE TRAVELERS, PEOPLE VISITING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES ALL OF THEM ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, AND YOU CAN TAKE ANY ONE OF THOSE AUDIENCES AND FURTHER SEGMENT THEM INTO CLUSTERS THAT CAN BE MARKETED AND TRACKED.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, CANOEIST, CAMPERS, AURORA VIEWERS ARE ALL SEGMENTS OF THE LEISURE MARKET.

ALL OF THEM. ALL OF THEM HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND THEIR STAY IN THE CITY.

MANY OF THEM HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RETURN FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.

A BUSINESS TRAVELER WHO GETS FALLS IN LOVE WITH A TERRITORY MIGHT DECIDE TO COME BACK AS A LEISURE TRAVELER.

ALL OF THEM HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE ADVOCATES OR CRITICS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THE OTHER POINT ABOUT TOURISM, I THINK, IS WORTH SAYING IS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT HOTEL STAYS.

IT'S ABOUT EXPERIENCES.

PEOPLE ARE EATING, DRINKING, TALKING TO OTHERS, SHOPPING, PERHAPS VISITING ATTRACTIONS, FESTIVALS, EVENTS ALL OF THOSE ARE CONNECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ELEVATE OR ERODE THE DESTINATION EXPERIENCE.

UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE SUCCEEDS AND WHERE IT FAILS ARE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS TO INCREASING THE CITY'S VALUE PROPOSITION.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THE PROJECT PLAN TOOK PLACE THROUGH 2023.

THIS INCLUDED RESEARCH LITERATURE REVIEWS, 1 TO 1 CONSULTATIONS, FOCUS GROUPS, A VISIONING WORKSHOP, FORMULATION OF GOALS, STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES, AND A DRAFT TOURISM STRATEGY. THE PROJECT BEGAN IN MARCH 2023 AND DELIVERABLES WERE EXPECTED BY OCTOBER 2023, AND OF COURSE, TIMELINES ALL WENT OUT THE WINDOW WITH THE TERRIBLE WILDFIRE SEASON YOU WERE MANAGING EVACUATIONS AS WELL, SO WE HAD TO ADAPT TIMELINES AND DELIVERABLES, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE MEETING NOW ALMOST A YEAR LATER. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

JORDAN. IN TODAY'S COMPETITIVE TOURISM INDUSTRY, HAVING A STRONG VISION IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS.

IT NEEDS TO BE ASPIRATIONAL AND PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR POSITIONING, BRAND DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING, AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT GETS SHARED WITH THE CONSUMER.

THIS IS AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT THAT BUILDS COLLABORATION, COHESION WITHIN ADVOCATES OF THE FOLKS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE BUILDING TOURISM.

EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE ELEMENTS HAVE TO BE GROUNDED IN VALUES THAT ARE BOTH AUTHENTIC AND IMPORTANT TO RESIDENTS OF THE DESTINATION WHO ARE SHARING THEIR COMMUNITY, CULTURE, AND SENSE OF PLACE WITH VISITORS.

THESE ARE THE VALUES THAT RESONATED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE TALKED TO, AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM VERY BRIEFLY.

LOCAL CULTURE, YELLOWKNIFE'S CHARACTER IS REFLECTED BY ITS DIVERSITY AND DEPTH OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION.

HOSPITALITY HOSTS ARE EXCITED TO SHARE THEIR LOVE FOR HOME AND LAND WITH RESPECTFUL GUESTS.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE VISITORS ARE SEEKING ADVENTURES IN STUNNING NATURAL BEAUTY WITH ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYONE.

SUSTAINABILITY. VISITORS AND RESIDENTS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT AND CONSERVE THE LAND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND LASTLY, COMMUNITY BELONGING AND SENSE OF PLACE IS IMPORTANT TO YELLOWKNIFE.

WE CELEBRATE OUR CONNECTEDNESS AND LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND IN THAT CONTEXT, THOSE ELEMENTS GAVE RISE TO THIS VISION, AND I PRESENT THIS NOW FOR YOUR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION.

VISION FOR YELLOWKNIFE.

A PLACE FOR HOSTS EAGERLY SHARED THE ESSENCE OF HOME AND LAND, INVITING VISITORS TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN CULTURAL RICHNESS, NATURAL WONDERS AND SUSTAINABLE ADVENTURES THAT

[00:15:06]

THIS IS A FUTURE FOR YELLOWKNIFE'S TOURISM INDUSTRY.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT GETS SHARED WITH THE MARKET, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THE ESSENCE OF WHICH YOU CAN DRAW FROM WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR BRAND AND YOUR MARKETING MESSAGES.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE JORDAN.

SO THE PROCESS, THE OUTPUT OF THE PROCESS YIELDED FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO DESTINATION SUCCESS AND DEVELOPMENT.

THEY'RE DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT, ALONG WITH SUPPORTING STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES, AND THESE ARE THE FOUR GOALS.

ENHANCING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.

BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.

DEVELOPING SUPPORT FOR THE INDUSTRY AND BUILDING DESTINATION AWARENESS, AND I WANT TO--THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, JORDAN.

I WANT TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT HOW INITIATIVES WERE ACTUALLY EVALUATED.

WE USED A SYSTEM CALLED THE TOURISM INITIATIVES EVALUATION RATING SYSTEM OR TIERS ANALYSIS, AND IT WAS A METHODOLOGY FOR FOCUSING, SCORING AND RANKING THOSE INITIATIVES AGAINST DIMENSIONS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, AND THESE WERE THE DIMENSIONS THAT WE ACTUALLY USED IN OUR ANALYSIS.

DESTINATION ENHANCEMENT BENEFITS TIMELINE TO REALIZE THE BENEFITS OF A PARTICULAR INITIATIVE, THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT, THE HUMAN RESOURCES REQUIRED EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OR ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

ALIGNMENT WITH RESPONSIBLE TOURISM.

LOCAL SUPPORT AND IS IT COMMERCIALLY VIABLE? AND WITHIN EACH OF THESE, THERE WERE FURTHER SEGMENTATIONS THAT ALLOWED US TO REALLY DRILL INTO A SPECIFIC INITIATIVE.

SO THE COMPLETE INITIATIVES THERE'S 41 INITIATIVES ARE OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGY, ALONG WITH THE PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF WHAT WE THOUGHT, THEIR IMPORTANCE IN ELEVATING AND BUILDING THE TOURISM ECONOMY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE JORDAN. SO WHILE THE TOURISM STRATEGY PROVIDED INITIATIVES AND AND STRATEGIES FOR SEVERAL GOALS, THERE ARE FOUR STRATEGIES IN PARTICULAR THAT I THINK ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF MOVING THE ENTIRE SECTOR FORWARD AND I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY DESCRIBE EACH OF THEM.

THE FIRST TWO STRATEGIES SUPPORT THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF DEVELOPING SUPPORT FOR THE INDUSTRY, AND THE FIRST IS DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR YELLOWKNIFE.

IN OUR OPINION, THE CITY REQUIRES FOCUS, INVESTMENT AND CONTINUITY FOR THE TOURISM SECTOR IF IT'S TO MOVE FORWARD.

A DMO WOULD BUILD COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY.

IT WOULD PROVIDE FOCUS FOR MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND IT WOULD BE A CRITICAL STAKEHOLDER IN DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.

THE SECOND STRATEGY IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND INFLUENCE WHAT VISITORS DO IN YELLOWKNIFE, WITH AN EYE TO INCREASING THE VALUE OF THE EXPERIENCE AND INCREASING THE LENGTH OF STAY.

METRICS SPECIFIC TO SPEND AND THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF TOURISM IN YELLOWKNIFE WOULD STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR THE SECTOR AND ALSO OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.

METRICS ALSO ALLOW STAKEHOLDERS TO CELEBRATE SUCCESS COLLECTIVELY OR TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION DURING CHALLENGING TIMES.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THE NEXT TWO STRATEGIES SUPPORT THE GOAL OF BUILDING DESTINATION AWARENESS.

THE FIRST IS THAT THE YELLOWKNIFE DMO FOLLOW NWT TOURISM'S LEAD WITH RESPECT TO MARKETING, OUTREACH AND DEVELOPMENT.

NWT TOURISM HAVE THE MEDIA AND TRADE RELATIONSHIPS AND ALL LONG HAUL MARKETS IN YELLOWKNIFE, BOTH AS A DESTINATION AND AS A STEPPING STONE INTO A TERRITORIAL EXPERIENCE, IS ALREADY A CRITICAL PART OF THAT VALUE PROPOSITION, BUT N.W.T.

TOURISM HAS A BROADER OBLIGATION AND A MANDATE TO INCREASE THE VALUE AND DISPERSION OF TOURISM TO THE ENTIRE TERRITORY.

YELLOWKNIFE NEEDS TO FOCUS ON HOW IT ADDS VALUE TO THAT EXPERIENCE, AND HOW IT INCREASES THE STICKINESS OF THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF GIVING PEOPLE A REASON TO STAY A LITTLE LONGER, SPEND A LITTLE MORE.

SO A YELLOWKNIFE DMO WOULD COMPLEMENT THAT VALUE PROPOSITION BY INCREASING THE LENGTH OF STAY AND RELEVANCE OF THE CITY IN THAT OVERALL RELATIONSHIP, AND ULTIMATELY, THAT WOULD HAVE A DOWNSTREAM POSITIVE IMPACT ON TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS OUTSIDE THE CITY AS WELL.

A YELLOWKNIFE DMO IS REALLY A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH THE CITY AND THE TERRITORY.

FURTHER TO THAT, THE SECOND STRATEGY RECOMMENDS AN ENHANCEMENT OF YELLOWKNIFE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR ALL VISITORS TO THE CITY, AND THIS CAN ONLY HAPPEN THROUGH BETTER RESEARCH AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT VISITORS SEE, DO AND FEEL ABOUT THE YELLOWKNIFE EXPERIENCE.

THAT INSIGHT WILL PROVIDE A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR CREATING STRONGER, MORE PASSIONATE ADVOCATES FOR THE CITY, AND IT WOULD ULTIMATELY ADD DOWNSTREAM VALUE AGAIN FOR VISITORS THAT ARE EN ROUTE TO OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE TERRITORY.

WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCES BEGIN WITH AN EXTENDED STAY IN YELLOWKNIFE, AND IN OUR OPINION, THAT'S ENTIRELY, ENTIRELY DOABLE.

IF THERE IS THAT COLLECTIVE INTEREST, WILL WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO VERY BRIEF VERY QUICK PRESENTATION.

I DID WANT TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

[00:20:01]

OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

COMMENTS. DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL.

DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION TOWARDS JORDAN WELLBEING INDICATED WITH THE GLOBAL TRAVEL TRENDS REPORT DEMONSTRATED A HUGE INTEREST IN REDUCED SCREEN TIME.

75% AND THOSE WHO WANT TO BE SURROUNDING THEMSELVES IN NATURE TO FOCUS ON MENTAL CLARITY.

68%. HOW CAN WE AS A COMMUNITY REALLY CAPITALIZE ON THE WELLBEING AND ECOTOURISM MARKET BEYOND JUST FORMATION OF A DMO? TURN IT OVER TO SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM TO ADDRESS.

SURE. STEVE OR PAUL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY? WELL, I THINK THE I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW IMPORTANT IF, AND MY APOLOGIES, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF WAITING FOR JORDAN TO PICK UP.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ENVIRONMENT RELATIVE TO INFLUENCING LENGTH OF STAY OR REASON TO VISIT IN THE FIRST PLACE? COUNCILLOR AM I CORRECT? YES, ALSO, BUT THE FACT OF LIKE INDICATING THAT THERE IS A HUGE WELLBEING MARKET, OUT THERE AND PEOPLE LOOKING FOR DESTINATIONS SUCH AS OURSELVES, HOW CAN WE CAPITALIZE ON THAT BEYOND JUST A DMO? WELL, I THINK IT BECOMES PART OF WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING IN TERMS OF YOUR BRAND EXPERIENCES BUILDING ON OUTDOORS, NATURE, THE WILDERNESS, BUT BUT IN A SAFE CONTEXT, IT'S AN EXOTIC EXPERIENCE AND FOR THOSE THAT LIVE AND BREATHE IT, IT DOESN'T RESONATE QUITE THE SAME WAY, BUT HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT MANY OF YOUR PEOPLE, MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO YELLOWKNIFE, ARE COMING TO A DESTINATION THAT FOR THEM IS VERY EXOTIC AND IT IS REMOTE, AND IT'S GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING THEY'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE, AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT IT CREATES, IT REJUVENATES.

WE USED TO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE WORLD WHO ARE REALLY BREATHING FRESH AIR, WHO SAY, TELL US THEY CAN ALMOST TASTE IT.

IT'S DIFFERENT FOR THEM, AND AND I THINK THAT'S A THEME THAT YOU CAN BUILD IN ALL THAT YOU DO IN TERMS OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND WELLBEING, REJUVENATION, THIS WHOLE SPIRIT OF BEING INVIGORATED.

PEOPLE WANT TO CONNECT WITH LOCALS.

THEY WANT CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.

THEY WANT DEEP, MEANINGFUL, RICH EXPERIENCES, AND AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING PASSIVE AND PASSIVE VISITORS, THEY WANT TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE DESTINATION, AND I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YELLOWKNIFE CAN OFFER AND IS ALREADY OFFERING IN SOME REGARD, BUT I THINK IT CAN UNDERLINE YOUR WHOLE STRATEGY IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AND CONNECTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

WHEN THIS INITIATIVE STARTED, WAS THE DECISION TO START A DMO, HAD THAT ALREADY HAPPENED, OR WAS THAT FOLLOWING THE START OF THIS INITIATIVE? NO, IT WAS ALREADY IN PROCESS.

MR. VAN DINE. WOULD ADMINISTRATION LIKE TO ELABORATE? NO, THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT, AND AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE HOTEL LEVY.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS. CAN I CAN I COMMENT ON THAT JUST BRIEFLY FOR SURE.

WE WERE NOT ASKED TO CONSIDER THAT AS AN OPTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE TOURISM NEEDS A PROLONGED PROTECTED INVESTMENT BECAUSE YOU, YOU ARE BUILDING STRATEGIES THAT TAKE TIME, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE PARTICULAR REASONS THAT WE WERE PLEASED THAT GREG WAS JOINING THE TEAM, BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT NUCLEUS OF SUPPORT AND YOU NEED TO YOU NEED TO ALLOW IT TO BUILD MOMENTUM, AND AND SO YOU NEED MEASURES.

YOU NEED WAYS AND MEANS TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE THE SUCCESSES.

YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.

YOU NEED AN ADVOCACY GROUP, IF YOU LIKE, ON BEHALF OF ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SHARING THOSE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCES THAT TOUCH ON RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS AND ATTRACTIONS AND YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SO ON.

SO ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE MANAGED.

SO IN OUR OPINION, IF YOU IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP THAT ECONOMY, YOU NEED TO PROTECT THAT NUCLEUS AND SUPPORT IT WHILE IT BUILDS MOMENTUM, AND YOU DO THAT THROUGH THROUGH AN ENTITY SUCH AS A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.

THANKS FOR THAT RESPONSE.

MY NEXT QUESTION IS AND MAYBE THIS ONE IS FOR ADMIN ADMIN.

KNOWING THAT THE DMO WAS ALREADY KIND OF MOVING FORWARD AND COULD CALL ON TAKING A PAUSE DURING COVID.

JUST CURIOUS, WAS THE IDEA THAT THIS STRATEGY ONCE IT CAME FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT LIKE WE AS COUNCIL WOULD, WOULD HAND OFF TO THE DMO TO IMPLEMENT OR WAS THERE KIND OF ANOTHER HOPE FOR THE PATHWAY FORWARD?

[00:25:04]

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

SO A STRATEGY IS A STRATEGY, AND SO THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? I THINK IT EMPOWERS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED.

I'LL JUST DRAW A COUPLE MORE TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT I THINK ARE RELEVANT IN THIS CONTEXT.

THE FACT THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS AS BEING AN IMPORTANT AREA TO GROW SORT OF IS A BIT SILENT ON THE FACT THAT WE'RE A CAPITAL CITY, AND AS A CAPITAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES A CAPITAL CITY WANT TO DO IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING NATIONAL AND POTENTIALLY OTHER EVENTS? AND I THINK THERE'S SOME AREAS WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO FOCUS AND LEVERAGE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

THE SECOND PIECE, OF COURSE, AROUND CONFERENCES IS ALSO KNOWLEDGE BASED AND SO THE INITIATIVES THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES IS PURSUING WITH RESPECT TO POLYTECHNICAL INSTITUTE AND AURORA COLLEGE, MATERIAL INTEREST TO THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY AND WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO PUT EFFORT AND ENERGY TO TRY AND ACCELERATE THOSE DECISIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGY SUCH AS THIS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE AIRPORT.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO BY WAY OF ENCOURAGING ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS OR OPPORTUNITIES OR INCREASED LEVELS OF SERVICE AT THE AIRPORT, IT CERTAINLY WOULD BODE WELL TO ADVANCE A STRATEGY SUCH AS THIS, BUT I'LL INVITE MISS THISTLE TO ELABORATE AND EXPAND ON YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE DESTINATION ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THAT.

AS MR. VAN DINE HAS INDICATED, EVEN WITH THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED, THE CITY WILL STILL PLAY A ROLE WITH RESPECT TO TOURISM AND ITS GROWTH OF THAT INDUSTRY IN OUR ECONOMY.

ALSO CAN PRESUPPOSE THAT THE HOTEL TAX AND SUBSEQUENT ESTABLISHMENT OF A DMO WOULD HAPPEN.

SO AT THE TIME, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT PROVIDING A GENERAL DIRECTION OF WHERE TOURISM COULD SHOULD GO FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD INTO THE FUTURE. IT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY AND ALSO, YES, IF A DMO IS ESTABLISHED WITH THE HOTEL TAX LEVY, THEN THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE AS A GUIDEBOOK IN ESTABLISHING THE DMO AND SETTING SOME FUTURE GOALS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

IF THE CITY AS SIMILAR TO TOURISM, THEY HAVE THE TMAC, THE TOURISM MARKETING ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THAT GROUP IS A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS. TOURISM OPERATORS AT DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE CITY'S HAD MEMBERSHIP ON IT, AND AND THEY RECEIVE A REPORT FROM INUIT TOURISM EVERY YEAR, AND THEY ALSO GIVE INPUT INTO THAT REPORT AND WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOCUS AND WHERE STRUGGLES MIGHT BE.

SO THE TOURISM STRATEGY GENERALLY IS JUST A GOOD DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY TO HAVE WHEN IT'S LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GROW THE INDUSTRY TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT CONTEXT.

THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.

MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST ABOUT THE PARTICULAR SUGGESTION THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING.

ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 21, JUST ABOUT HOW DMOS CAN SOMETIMES PLAY A ROLE IN RECOGNIZING OR ACCREDITING TOUR OPERATORS, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS MAYBE FOR THE PRESENTERS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS A SUGGESTION IN OUR CONTEXT, OR IS THAT A PRETTY COMMON OR BEST PRACTICE THAT YOU SEE AROUND OTHER JURISDICTIONS? STEVE, DID YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT QUESTION? I WAS HOPING SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD.

IT IS A TEAM EFFORT, AND EVERYBODY HAS COLLABORATED ON THIS.

SO IT DEPENDS, AND EVERY DMO HAS ITS OWN CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH ISSUES.

WE DID HEAR THAT, WE LOOKED AT DMOS THAT HAD CHALLENGES WITH INBOUND OPERATORS THAT IN SOME CASES WERE NOT SETTING THE SAME QUALITY STANDARDS AND YOU CAN FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT THE ONES THAT ARE.

SO, A DMO CAN ACTUALLY SET STANDARDS THAT OPERATORS WILL ASPIRE TO, AND THEN IT FINDS WAYS TO POSITIVELY REINFORCE, RECOGNIZE AND ELEVATE THOSE THOSE OPERATORS IN TERMS OF ITS MARKETING MESSAGES AND OUTREACH.

SO IT'S LESS ABOUT PENALIZING BECAUSE OFTENTIMES YOU DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF LICENSE, BUT THERE ARE WAYS OF ACTUALLY POSITIVELY REWARDING AND RECOGNIZING THOSE THAT DO.

WE USED TO CALL THEM SPECIALISTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE CITIES THAT WE LIVED IN, WE CALL THEM DESTINATION SPECIALISTS, AND THEY WOULD GET ACCREDITED AND THEY WOULD GET A CERTIFICATE, AND WE WOULD INVITE THEM ON "FAMS," FAMILIARIZATION TOURS, OR PROVIDE THEM WITH SMALL INCENTIVES THAT OTHERS WOULDN'T HAVE, AND WHEN OTHER OPERATORS STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO

[00:30:06]

THEY WOULD COME AND SAY, HOW DO WE GET TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AND WE'D SAY, WELL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS PROGRAM, AND SO WE WERE INVOLVED IN SETTING PROGRAMS IN PLACE THAT OPERATORS HAD TO ASPIRE TO BEFORE THEY'D BE RECOGNIZED AS SPECIALISTS.

SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT YELLOWKNIFE COULD DO.

I THINK IT TOUCHES ON AN ISSUE THAT WE HEARD IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE SAW AS AN UNBALANCED PLAYING FIELD RELATIVE TO HOW SOME WERE PERFORMING AND OTHERS WERE NOT.

MAYBE I'LL JUST ADD QUICKLY TO THAT COMMENT.

STEVE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

IS THAT DMOS THE PRIMARY BENEFIT OF THE DMO IN THIS REGARD IS THE ABILITY TO BRING FORWARD THE VOICE OF THE MARKETPLACE, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THOSE WHO ARE VISITING AND COMING ARE INTERESTED IN COMING.

SO WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCES ARE THEY HAVING? AND SO THAT NEEDS TO INFORM WHATEVER REGULATIONS ARE DEVELOPED AS IT RELATES TO THE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

SO TYPICALLY A DMO DOES NOT GET INVOLVED IN THE POLICING OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE A CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT IN HELPING DEVELOP WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE, AND AGAIN, PROVIDING THAT VOICE OF THE OF THE VISITOR TO THE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE STANDARDS, AND THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT DOES ALSO HAVE A LICENSING THAT TO BE UNDER THE TOURISM ACT.

YOU DO NEED A TOURISM OPERATOR LICENSE, AND SO BEFORE THE CITY ADDS ANOTHER LICENSING REQUIREMENT WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER.

MR. VAN DINE DID YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? NO, THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT I WAS GOING TO OFFER, AND I THINK THE INFORMATION THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE GIVING US TODAY IS GIVES US SOME INSIGHT AS TO ONCE WE GET OUR DESTINATION OFFICE UP AND RUNNING, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN IT EVOLVE, AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAN PROBABLY TURN ITS ATTENTION TO BUT WE'RE VERY MUCH IN THE EARLY, EARLY STAGES AND OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CURRENTLY PROVIDE THAT TOURISM OPERATOR SERVICE.

THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD ALSO THAT THEY DO BUSINESS MARKET AND TRADE READY.

THEY WORK WITH TOURISM TO DEVELOP THAT, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WITH YKDFN ACTUALLY FLAGGED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND IT'S ONE OF OUR TO-DOS OR ACTION ITEMS TO REQUEST THAT NWT TOURISM OR DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND INVESTMENT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF CERTIFICATION TRAINING.

WITH RESPECT TO THE CULTURE OF OUR AREA, YKDFN WERE VERY CLEAR DURING THAT ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THAT STRATEGY THAT THERE'S OFTEN TOUR OPERATORS WORKING IN THE AREA THAT AREN'T KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE LAND WE'RE ON AND THE TRADITIONS AND CULTURES, SO THAT'S ANOTHER TO DO THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY ON.

WE JUST HAVE A PROGRAM IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I DON'T KNOW IF STACIE TOOK THAT TO GET YOUR TOURISM.

I FEEL LIKE IT WAS, NO, NO.

YEAH, SO MAYBE THAT PROGRAM JUST GETS REVIVED.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR WARBURTON, AND THEN COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH.

AROUND THE DMO.

CITY MANAGER MENTIONED UP AND RUNNING.

JUST OPERATIONALLY WONDERING, I HEARD THE RECOMMENDATION OF NONPROFIT.

MAYBE IT'S A BIT PAST WHAT THE STRATEGY PORTION IS, BUT HOW DO WE SEE TO OPERATIONALIZE THAT DMO LIKE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN REAL LIFE? LIKE, HOW DOES IT OPERATE? WHERE IS IT LOCATED? HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT FAR AHEAD OR IS THAT STILL NEXT STEPS? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM THE CONSULTANTS OR MORE OF.

YES, LET ME REFRAME THAT A BIT.

SO IN OTHER PLACES, WHEN A CITY HAS A DMO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE OPERATIONALLY? IF YOU GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.

STEVE WE WILL TURN TO YOU AND YOU OR PAUL, YOU'RE GOING TO JUMP IN.

SORRY, I JUMPED IN THERE AHEAD OF STEVE.

HE CAN'T STEAL ALL OF THE THUNDER.

NO. STEVE AS FAR AS THE QUESTION IS RELATED AND HOW IT'S DONE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, IT'S TYPICALLY THE DMO SITS AS A NONPROFIT SOCIETY.

IN THE COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE CERTAINLY INSTANCES WHERE THE DMO ALSO AND GREG MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS, BUT HE'S FROM HE HAS EXPERIENCE IN WINNIPEG AND HOW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND THE DMO WERE CLOSELY LINKED AND ALIGNED.

GREG, DO YOU WANT TO JUST COMMENT BRIEFLY ON ON THAT AS WELL? THE WINNIPEG EXAMPLE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO JUST THE EXPERIENCE WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WINNIPEG ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A STANDALONE DMO TOURS IN WINNIPEG, AND IT WAS ROLLED INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THEN WITHIN THAT CORPORATION, WHICH WAS OPERATING AS AN ARM'S LENGTH, NOT FOR PROFIT, HAD TWO DIVISIONS.

[00:35:05]

SO FROM AN OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IT COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY THEY'RE ARM'S LENGTH, NOT FOR PROFITS, AND THE THIS PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE THAT I'M BRINGING FORWARD WAS THE TWO ENTITIES, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE TOURISM ENTITY OPERATING UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I GUESS FOLLOWING UP ON THAT QUESTION, A LOT OF YOUR REPORT TALKS ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT NWT TOURISM IS DOING.

SO DO YOU ALSO LIKE WITH RESPECT TO ALL MARKETING, OUTREACH AND DEVELOPMENT? SO DO YOU ALSO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY INSTEAD OF CREATING THIS BRAND NEW DMO, BRAND NEW NOT FOR PROFIT THAT'S GOING TO NEED BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'S GOING TO NEED FINANCING, ACCOUNTING, ETC.. IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITHIN A CURRENT NGO VERSUS CREATING A NEW STANDALONE NGO FOR A DMO? GREG, OR DID YOU WANT TO SOMEBODY FROM YOUR TEAM WANT TO TOUCH ON THAT? SURE. I'LL TOUCH ON IT IF I CAN.

WE DID TOUCH. WE TALKED ABOUT A YELLOWKNIFE DESK WITHIN N.W.T.

TOURISM AS ONE SCENARIO AND FROM A FROM AN N.W.T.

TOURISM THAT JUST WAS NOT ADVISABLE.

THEY ALREADY FEEL THAT THEY'RE PAINTED WITH A BRUSH THAT YELLOWKNIFE GETS TOO MUCH OF THEIR ATTENTION ALREADY AND THEY DO HAVE A MANDATE TO SERVICE THE ENTIRE TERRITORY, BUT IT WAS JUST IT WAS JUST A SCENARIO.

HAVING SAID THAT, IF YELLOWKNIFE REALLY WANTS TO DEVELOP THE TOURISM ECONOMY, IT DOES HAVE TO DRILL DOWN INTO WHY ARE PEOPLE? WHAT ARE PEOPLE CURRENTLY DOING IN YELLOWKNIFE? WHAT IS THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE CITY AND HOW DO WE INFLUENCE THAT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IN SOME CASES GETTING PEOPLE TO STAY FOR MAYBE A COUPLE OF DAYS, COUPLE OF HOURS, COUPLE WHATEVER, BUT INCREMENTALLY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY WITHOUT WITHOUT TIME AND ATTENTION.

SO THE NOTION THAT N.W.T.

TOURISM IS GOING TO TAKE THIS ON AS PART OF ITS OBLIGATION IS JUST A NONSTARTER.

THEIR MANDATE IS SERVED IF PEOPLE TOUCH DOWN IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THEN THE SAME DAY OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, GET ON WITH THEIR TRIP INTO THE INTERIOR, AND FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, THAT'S BENEFICIAL TO THE TOURISM ECONOMY OF THE TERRITORY, AND IT IS, BUT YELLOWKNIFE NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT WHERE ARE THEY IN THIS SCENARIO IN TERMS OF THEM AS A VALUE PROPOSITION, AND IF THEY ACTUALLY BUILD THEIR OWN EQUITY IN TERMS OF A REASON FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME AND STAY IN YELLOWKNIFE AS A DESTINATION, THEN ULTIMATELY, AS I SAID, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A DOWNSTREAM IMPACT ON THOSE OUT-OF-TOWN OPERATORS WHO ARE GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE IN MY LODGE IS GOING TO START WITH A COUPLE OF DAYS IN YELLOWKNIFE, BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER IS GOING TO RAVE ABOUT THAT AND I GET THOSE KUDOS, BECAUSE THAT COMES ACROSS AS PART OF WHAT I'M OFFERING AS PART OF THE PACKAGE.

SO FROM A FROM A VESTED INTEREST IN TERMS OF BUILDING YOUR SECTOR, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YELLOWKNIFE TO HAVE ITS OWN DMO FROM A TERRITORIAL PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF ADDING VALUE TO OVERALL TOURISM WITHIN THE TERRITORY.

IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR YELLOWKNIFE TO BUILD ITS OWN DMO.

THANK YOU. I'VE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN, AND THEN COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR THE WORK.

JUST A QUESTION ABOUT I KNOW THE DATA IS OLD FROM 2019, JUST TALKING ABOUT THE SORT OF 65% HOTEL OCCUPANCY OVER THE WHOLE YEAR.

JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON HOW THAT COMPARES TO OTHER CITIES OR TOWNS THAT WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO YELLOWKNIFE? YES. SO 2019 DATA OF COURSE WE FOUND THAT IS WE ARE NOW ALMOST SIX YEARS REMOVED FROM 2019.

SO AS OF COURSE PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO CONTINUOUSLY UPDATE THAT DATA, BUT IN TERMS OF COMPARISON 2019 DATA, AND STEVE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WOULD BE THAT 65% FOR YELLOWKNIFE WOULD BE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN AVERAGE FOR A DESTINATION OF THE SIZE.

WELL, IT'S YEAH, 6,570% WOULD PROBABLY BE KIND OF A NORMAL RANGE.

YOU HAVE SEASONALITY ISSUES IN YELLOWKNIFE AS YOU DO IN MANY PARTS OF CANADA.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE PEAK PERIODS AND THEN OF COURSE, PERIODS WHERE IT'S NOT SO STRONG.

SO AN OVERALL AVERAGE OCCUPANCY OF 65 IS REASONABLY GOOD.

I DON'T YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S ANYTHING TO BE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START GOING A BIT BELOW THAT I THINK YOU DO SEE SOME, YOU KNOW,

[00:40:09]

WE ALSO WE ALSO USE 2019 IN WITH COMPLETE CANDOR.

WE USE THAT AS A NORMALIZED YEAR BECAUSE SINCE COVID, YELLOWKNIFE IS STILL RECOVERING AND THERE IS MORE CURRENT DATA ON OCCUPANCY AND RATE, BUT IT'S THEY'RE STILL THEY'RE STILL THEY'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING, AND THE DATA IS REALLY NOT PARTICULARLY STRONG.

SO WE WENT BACK TO 2019 AS A NORMALIZED YEAR TO LOOK AT REVENUES AND SEASONALITY AND GET A BETTER SENSE AS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING DURING A YEAR THAT WAS, FRANKLY, A VERY STRONG YEAR RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THANK YOU, AND THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE TO MY OTHER QUESTION ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRYING TO SPREAD OUT THAT OCCUPANCY AND GET SORT OF LIKE OFF PEAK TOURISM.

IS IT SORT OF THOSE MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES, OR IS THAT THE MAIN DRIVER, OR IS THERE OTHER IDEAS THAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST? FOR SURE. YOU KNOW, DIVERSIFICATION IN THE ATTRACTIONS AND WHAT YELLOWKNIFE HAS TO OFFER.

OF COURSE, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IS A BIG PART OF THE BRAND AND WHY PEOPLE COME TO YELLOWKNIFE, AND THAT ONLY HAPPENS WITHIN A CERTAIN SELECT SEASON.

CREATING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THE CONVENTION MEETINGS.

SPORTS AS A POTENTIAL, CREATING REGIONAL SPORTING ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER CREATING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS THAT START TO DISPERSE THE VISITORS ACROSS DIFFERENT MONTHS INTO THE LOWER NON-PEAK MONTHS HELPS THOSE HOTELS NOT MANAGE WITH PEAK PRICING, PEAK OCCUPANCY, AND ALSO TRYING TO ALSO RUN AN EVENT THAT WOULD BE WITHIN THE CITY OR WITHIN THE REGION, AND SO CREATING MORE OF THAT SEASONALITY OR LOW PEAK SEASON EVENT STRATEGY HELPS.

THEN THE HOTELS IMPROVE THAT OVERALL OCCUPANCY RATE, AND WHERE 65 IS, AS WE SAID, ROUGHLY NORMAL FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE THE PEAKS WE SAW AT 100% AND VALLEYS CERTAINLY LOWER THAN 30 OR SO PERCENT BASED ON SEASONAL ISSUES.

THANK YOU, AND YEAH, JUST A COMMENT.

YEAH. I THINK LIKE WE AS A CITY AND AS A TERRITORY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO BE DUPLICATING WORK.

SO JUST LIKE TO HAMMER HOME THE POINT FOR ANYBODY USING THE STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY DONE AND THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DO IT, AND WAS SORT OF HEARTENED BY THINGS LIKE ON PAGE 21 OF THE STRATEGY, TALKING ABOUT THE DMO, FOCUSING MORE ON DATA AND PRODUCT QUALITY RATHER THAN MARKETING ITSELF AS NWT SORT OF LIKE HAS A HEAD START ON THAT AND DOES A GREAT JOB.

SO THANKS AGAIN FOR THE WORK FOR SURE, AND I MEAN, THE TOURISM STRATEGY THAT WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE MINDSET THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE CAN ONLY DO ON ITS OWN. IT NEEDS THE PARTNERSHIPS, IT NEEDS THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE NWT TOURISM, WITH EVERY PARTNER AND STAKEHOLDER IT HAS AS ITS RESOURCE TO HELP DEVELOP OR HELP IMPLEMENT THIS TOURISM STRATEGY.

THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS, SPECIFIC KEY QUESTIONS THAT, OF COURSE, FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE TO ANSWER LIKE THE DMO AND LIKE FUNDING AND WHATNOT THAT WILL HELP KICKSTART THIS TOURISM STRATEGY IN TERMS OF WHO'S GOING TO LEAD THE OVERALL PROGRAM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, EVEN IF A DMO WAS STOOD UP IT IS NOT THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT COULD LEAD EACH ONE OF THESE INITIATIVES, AND THERE ARE A FEW OF THESE INITIATIVES THAT ARE JUST THINGS THAT THE DMO WOULD MONITOR AND HELP KICK OFF, BUT FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE, RATHER THAN A DIRECT LEADING PERSPECTIVE.

THANK YOU. I'VE COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH AND THEN COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

MERCI. I THINK MOST OF MY QUESTIONS ARE MORE COMMENTS THAN THEY ARE QUESTIONS.

I'M JUST NOTING IN HERE IN A SECTION IT STATED INFORMATION THAT HAS WORKED IN INFORMATION THAT ARE NOT INFORMATION THAT'S WORKED, BUT STRATEGIES THAT HAVE WORKED AND HAVEN'T WORKED, I'D BE MORE INTERESTED IN THE ITEMS THAT HAVEN'T WORKED, WHAT WAS INDICATED BY ANY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, JUST SO THAT WE AS A CITY CAN STEER CLEAR OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TOUR OPERATORS AND OUR BUSINESSES ARE TELLING US THAT JUST, JUST HAVEN'T WORKED IN OUR FAVOR.

[00:45:02]

HOWEVER, WE DON'T WANT TO DISCLUDE ANY OF THE OTHER INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL.

ONE BEING [INAUDIBLE], AND I DON'T MEAN ANY DISRESPECT TO YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.

YELLOWKNIFE SOMBA KÉ HAS BEEN MORE OF A MEETING PLACE FOR THE SUMMER SEASONS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

BECAUSE WE WERE NOMADIC PRIOR TO SETTLERS BEING HERE, WE CAME HERE FOR FISHING, FOR GATHERINGS, TO INTERMARRY WITHIN BOTH BOTH OF OUR TREATIES.

SO WE CAN'T DISCLUDE THE [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE.

WE CAN'T DISCLUDE THE NORTH SLAVE METIS WITHIN THE HISTORIES AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TEACHING THESE BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THIS HISTORY IS, IS VERY RICH IN MANY FACTORS, AND I FIND THAT TO BE MISSING WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT IS THE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT INDIGENOUS GROUPS.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TOURISM.

SO I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

THANK YOU.

I GUESS I JUST NOTICED THAT THE IT APPEARS THE MAJORITY OF RESEARCH THAT WAS AND REPORTS THAT WERE REFERENCED WERE 2020 OR PRIOR, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT NOW I'M JUST WONDERING IF LIKE WHAT IF YOUR RESEARCH PERSON, YOUR FIRM'S ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, WAS THE MAJORITY OF IT DONE PRIOR TO 2020 OR PRIOR, OR IS THERE ANY THAT YOU DID MORE RECENTLY? SO WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT IN 2023 THE RESEARCH THAT WE THAT WE RESEARCHED ON OUR OWN, BUT ALSO WERE RETRIEVED FROM THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN YELLOWKNIFE, ALL PREDOMINANTLY WERE FROM 2019 AND PRIOR.

THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE A FEW DOCUMENTS THAT WERE DONE RECENTLY, LIKE THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

WHICH WE ALSO REFERENCED IN OUR DOCUMENTS, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WAS ALL FROM 2023 THROUGH 2024.

WE CAME UP AND DID SEVERAL ONE ON ONE INTERVIEWS IN PERSON IN 2023 AS WELL AS VIRTUAL BUT ALSO FOCUS GROUPS, AND THEN AT THE END OF 2023, IN NOVEMBER, WE BROUGHT EVERYONE TOGETHER AS WHAT WE CALLED A VISIONING WORKSHOP IS WHERE WE BROUGHT A DRAFT OF THE INITIATIVES AS WELL AS WORKSHOPS.

WHAT A VISION MIGHT LOOK LIKE OR A DESTINATION VISION MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR THE TOURISM STRATEGY.

SO THAT BEING SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO REFERENCE WHAT RESEARCH HAD TOLD US WAS HAPPENING IN 2019 PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, AND AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE REBUILDING STAGE WE'RE ABLE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HELPED FRAME AS WHAT THE CURRENT GOING ON OR WHAT THE CURRENT SITUATION WAS WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO THE PERIPHERY INDUSTRIES LIKE MINING AND SUCH THAT WAS HAPPENING IN YELLOWKNIFE.

THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS STRATEGY.

AS FOR NEXT STEPS, ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE THIS GETS INCORPORATED INTO THEIR WORK PLAN.

WE'LL SEE STUFF COME FORWARD LIKE THE DMO GOVERNANCE IN EARLY 2025.

SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT JUICY DISCUSSION.

WITH THAT, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AND THANK YOU.

YOU'RE FREE TO STICK AROUND FOR THE REST OF OUR MEETING OR YOU CAN HOP OFF.

APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MAYOR.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU.

NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION REGARDING A NEW RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN.

[6. A presentation regarding a New Recruitment Campaign.]

TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM VERY QUICKLY.

JUST TO SAY THAT THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT STARTED BY MY PREDECESSORS AND I BELIEVE IS TIMELY IN LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS JUST HAD WITH RESPECT TO YELLOWKNIFE BEING A PLACE TO WANT TO ATTRACT PEOPLE, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES.

SO WITHOUT TOO MUCH PREAMBLE, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MISS THISTLE AND ASSISTED BY STACIE MAHE, PERHAPS ON OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF WHY COMMUNICATIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE THE ONES PRESENTING, AND WE REALLY WORKED WITH ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN

[00:50:03]

IT'S NOT MOVING FORWARD.

THERE WE GO. SO WHY NOW? OH, AND I SHOULD SAY STACIE MAHE, THE MANAGER OF HUMAN RESOURCES IS HERE TODAY.

BECAUSE SHE'LL HAVE A LOT OF THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION, BUT I'M SAYING, WHY NOW? WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR.

WE STARTED THIS BECAUSE AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE RECRUITMENT IS BECOMING MORE CHALLENGING.

IS TAKING LONGER TO FILL THE POSITIONS.

WE HAVE TO REPOST JOB ADS.

IT'S HARDER TO GET POSITIONS, PEOPLE IN SEATS.

WE GET A BUNCH OF SUCCESS, AND THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF DIFFICULTY.

SO WE'RE LIKE, WE HAVE THE TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DONE.

I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

THREE YEARS AGO. IT'S A HUGE DOCUMENT WITH A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND SLOWLY PLUGGING THROUGH THOSE.

THIS SEEMED LIKE AN EASY WAY TO TRY AND CATCH ATTENTION WAS TO CHANGE UP WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CURRENT JOB ADS, IT'S LIKE WE'RE A GREAT EMPLOYER.

YOU SHOULD APPLY.

CLICK HERE.

NOTHING REALLY CREATIVE, NOTHING BRIGHT OR EYE CATCHING.

SO IT WAS LIKE, HOW CAN WE CHANGE THAT? SO WE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT, AND WE SAT AND ENGAGED.

THEY ASKED US QUESTIONS LIKE, WHY DO YOU WORK AT THE CITY? WHY DID YOU STAY? WHY DO YOU LOVE THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE? LIKE, THEY JUST ASKED US A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND THEY WENT AWAY AND CAME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDED GRAPHICS, PICTURES, ADS THAT WE WILL GO THROUGH TODAY. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO UPDATE THE CITY WEBSITE, SO THERE'LL BE A SECTION ON THE CITY WEBSITE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT RECRUITMENT.

THAT WON'T JUST BE A LIST OF JOB ADS.

SO WHAT ARE THOSE THEMES? WELL, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO INCORPORATE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROMOTE THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT WORKING AT THE CITY.

COMPETITIVE WAGES.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT.

YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE WERE TO LEAVE, THERE'S LIKE MAYBE A POSSIBILITY TO MOVE UP, AND THEN THAT WE'RE A DIVERSE AND SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACE.

SO IN LOOKING AT WHAT YELLOWKNIFE HAS TO OFFER AND, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT RELATED TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD WITH RESPECT TO THE TOURISM STRATEGY, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT FOUR DISTINCT DEMOGRAPHICS.

THAT'S YOUR OUTDOOR LOVER, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY THAT YOU ENJOY A SMALL COMMUNITY AND THE OUTDOORS.

I THINK WE ALL KNOW IF YOU COME TO YELLOWKNIFE AND YOU SPEND ALL WINTER INSIDE OFTEN, YOU'RE NOT REALLY HAPPY BY THE TIME MAY COMES AROUND BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF CABIN FEVER.

SO REALLY IMPORTANT TO ATTRACT THE RIGHT PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO STAY.

WE, YOU KNOW, WE PREFER PEOPLE NOT TO COME AND NOT BE HAPPY, AND NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE THEIR JOB, BUT MAYBE THEY JUST DON'T LIKE WHERE THEY ARE AND LEAVE BECAUSE TRANSITION, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY THAT TURNOVER IS REALLY TAXING ON THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.

SO THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY KEY TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SEATS FINANCIALLY MOTIVATED.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MAY BE FOCUSED ON PAYING OFF DEBTS, ENHANCING THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING.

WE JUST WENT THROUGH A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WENT THROUGH HAD THAT LIKE CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL REVIEW.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER THEME THE GO GETTER, ADAPTABLE, SELF-SUFFICIENT, RISK TAKER.

LIKE ADVENTURE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I MOVED HERE OVER 20 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE SAY, WHY DID YOU MOVE HERE? IT WAS FOR THE ADVENTURE.

TRY A DIFFERENT PLACE.

MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS.

WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS LATER, I'M STILL HERE, AND THEN PROFESSIONAL.

SOMEONE THAT MAYBE DESIRES A CAREER BREAKTHROUGH, HIGHER INCOME, DIFFERENT BENEFITS, MAYBE MORE VACATION THAN YOU'D GET IN ANOTHER PROVINCE.

THINGS LIKE THAT. SO REALLY TRYING TO TARGET, YOU KNOW, REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME TO YELLOWKNIFE.

SO THE FIRST OF THAT IS LIVE THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK AT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, AND THE REASON WE'RE USING EXTRAORDINARY IS ALSO RELATED TO OUR TOURISM, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT OUR VISITOR CENTER AND THE BRANDING THAT'S BEEN DONE, WE'RE EXTRAORDINARY.

YELLOWKNIFE, AND YOU KNOW, THAT LINKS TO SPECTACULAR N.W.T..

SO REALLY TRYING TO REINFORCE THOSE THINGS.

SO THESE ARE CURRENT EMPLOYEES.

THAT WAS SOME OF THE DELAY IN THE PROJECT GETTING ROLLED OUT.

IT'S VERY COMPLICATED TO ORGANIZE ALL THE PIECES, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S MORE VISUALLY EYE CATCHING.

IT REALLY FOCUSES ON LIKE THIS WILL ADD COMPETITIVE BENEFITS, A SHORTER COMMUTE TO WORK.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE.

WHEN I GO TO EDMONTON, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR WHEN I COME BACK TO YELLOWKNIFE IS IT DOESN'T TAKE ME 40 MINUTES TO GET EVERYWHERE.

IT'S SOMETHING IN A SMALL COMMUNITY.

SOMETIMES YOU FORGET.

SO YOU BRING THAT HOME TO PEOPLE.

IT'S A SHORTER COMMUTE.

YOU HAVE MORE TIME TO LIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN YOUR CAR AN HOUR AND A HALF A DAY.

OR, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET YOUR KIDS TO THREE PLACES AFTER WORK BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S WITHIN A 5 OR 10 MINUTE DRIVE.

[00:55:02]

YOU KNOW, THIS IS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY BY WORKING AT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

MAYBE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YELLOWKNIFE BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE WORKING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

YOU'RE NOT JUST LIVING HERE.

THIS IS REALLY AIMED AT AS WELL, PEOPLE THAT ALREADY LIVE IN THE AREA.

IT'S LIKE, WHY MOVE TO THE CITY? LIKE, YOU CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY.

YOU CAN WORK AT THE CITY.

THE NEXT ONE IS REACH FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY, AND THIS ONE'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, YOU WANT TO MOVE UP IN YOUR CAREER.

YOU WANT TO GET SOME CAREER FULFILLMENT THAT MAYBE YOU'RE NOT GETTING SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE YOUR CAREER DREAMS WITH ABOVE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES, COMPETITIVE LIVING COSTS AND GREAT PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, YELLOWKNIFE IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK AND SO IT'S MAKE THE MOVE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THIS IS AGAIN AIMED AT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONALS, AND KIND OF THEY'RE RIPE FOR THE TAKING, AND THEN THE LAST ONE WILL BE DO THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THIS IS YOU CAN HAVE A CAREER THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

BE PART OF OUR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.

BE PART OF OUR TEAM AND MOVE AHEAD AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YELLOWKNIFE.

YOU KNOW, LIFE IS EXTRAORDINARY.

LET'S LIVE IT THAT WAY.

THESE ARE KIND OF THE TAGLINES WE'RE GOING TO START USING AND REALLY FOCUSING ON TO GENERATE MAYBE SOME KIND OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT LIKE YELLOWKNIFE COULD BE A REALLY GREAT CAREER CHOICE.

LIFE CHOICE.

DARE TO BE EXTRAORDINARY.

THIS IS FOR THE ADVENTUROUS PEOPLE.

IT'S A BOLD AND IMPACTFUL CAREER DECISION.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY, JUMP AND LIVE THE EXTRAORDINARY.

SO NEXT STEPS.

THIS IS NOT A CURRENT EMPLOYEE.

NEXT STEPS ARE TEMPLATES ARE BEING FINALIZED.

SOME FINE TUNING FOR THE JOB, ADS FOR DIFFERENT PLACES THAT WE ADVERTISE.

YOU KNOW, AN AD THAT GOES ON FACEBOOK HAS TO BE DIFFERENT THAN THE AD THAT GOES IN THE NEWSPAPER, ET CETERA.

ET CETERA. WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH IN JANUARY 2025.

THIS IS WHAT THE WEBSITE WILL LOOK LIKE THE SUBPAGE FOR RECRUITMENT.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST IF YOU RIGHT NOW IF YOU CLICK, IT'S LIKE JOBS AT YELLOWKNIFE AND IT JUST HAS A LIKE LIST OF JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL GET WHEN WE LAUNCH IN JANUARY.

AGAIN, TRYING TO CATCH PEOPLE'S EYES WITH THE ADS SO THAT THEY DO CLICK AND THEN IT'LL BRING THEM TO THIS PAGE.

IT'S MORE EYE CATCHING AND IT'LL BE MORE INFORMATIVE.

YOU WON'T HAVE TO PLAY ALL OVER THE PLACE TO TRY AND FIND INFORMATION.

WE'LL HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT BENEFITS, FAQS, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND STACIE IS HERE AS WELL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

SUPER EXCITED TO SEE THIS LOOKS WAY BETTER THAN THE GNWT'S WEBSITE.

CAN'T WAIT FOR MY OWN BUMPER STICKER.

YEAH, AND JUST JUST A QUESTION, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK, IS THAT THE WEBSITE OR IS THAT MOBILE FRIENDLY AND IS, I GUESS OUR WHOLE WEBSITE IS KIND OF UNDERGOING SOME EXPLORATION TO MAKE IT.

YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IS AWESOME.

THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. SO GOOD JOB.

EXTRAORDINARILY AWESOME.

EXTRAORDINARILY. MR. VAN DINE OR MISS THISTLE, DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON WHETHER THIS IS ALSO MOBILE FRIENDLY? I'M GOING TO GUESSTIMATE MR. PANDOO MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONFIRM, BUT OUR WEBSITE IS MOBILE FRIENDLY AND THIS WILL BE HOSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, SO I'M ASSUMING ALTHOUGH I'M NO IT TECH THAT THIS WILL BE MOBILE FRIENDLY, SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE WEBSITE.

THAT IS CORRECT. IT WILL BE MOBILE-FRIENDLY.

THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO COMMEND CARRIE AND STACIE TO THEIR TEAMS FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THEY PUT UP HERE, AND ALSO, I GOT TO SAY, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE SOME OF OUR GREAT EMPLOYEES, LIKE ZION AND LEVI, LIVING THEIR BEST MODEL LIFE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH.

SO THIS IS GREAT.

I LOVE THE REBRANDING.

I AGREE THE CURRENT WEBSITE IS LACKING.

JUST IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS BESIDES BRANDING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS IN THE PIPELINE TO MAKE THAT AS QUICK AND EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE'S ATTENTION SPANS ARE SHORT, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF ANYTHING IN THE WORKS, AND IF NOT, THAT'S FINE, BUT FRIEND APPLIED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND COMPLETELY FORGOT WHEN THEY CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW.

MR. VAN DINE ANY IMPROVEMENTS ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS THIS IS PART OF AN OVERALL 2025 REVIVE THAT WE'RE DOING ACROSS ACROSS THE WAY, AND YOU'RE SEEING IT THROUGH SOME OF THE POLICY SUITE CHANGES THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT 2025.

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT DIFFERENT PROCEDURAL CHANGES WITH RESPECT TO HIRING POLICIES, SO THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT IN PARALLEL WITH THIS

[01:00:07]

THANK YOU. WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH HR IN THE PAST MONTH SINCE WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THIS TO GET SOME STAND UP BANNERS AND HR HAS ATTENDED A COUPLE OF FULL DAY CAREER FAIRS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IN A WHILE.

COUNCILLOR MCGURK. I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS.

I HAD A FUNNY COMMENT.

WHAT DID YOU SAY? 2025 REVIVE? YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

THANK YOU. THIS IS REALLY GREAT.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

I MEAN, A REBRAND IS DEFINITELY GOOD BECAUSE WE WERE WORKING OFF THE OLD FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND I'M GLAD THAT ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME NEW POLICIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING INTO PLAY, AND WITH THAT, I REALLY WANT TO STRESS, YOU KNOW, HAVING A PRIORITY ONE OPTION IN THERE WITH RECRUITMENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I CAN WALK THESE HALLS AND GO INTO ANY FACILITY AND I DON'T SEE FACES THAT LOOK LIKE MINE, UNFORTUNATELY.

I SAID THIS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY TERM SEVEN YEARS AGO, THAT YELLOWKNIFE, THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, IS NOT A DESIRABLE PLACE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO WANT TO WORK, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A QUESTION OF WHY RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE WORK THAT YOU DID, BUT I'M GOING TO USE THIS ANALOGY.

YOU CAN PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG, BUT IT'S STILL A PIG.

SO WE NEED TO DO A DEEP DIVE OF WHY ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE NOT BEING HIRABLE? THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE LOOKING AND SEEKING EMPLOYMENT.

HOW COME THEY'RE NOT HIRABLE YET? SO THAT'S THE QUESTION WE NEED TO ASK, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THIS COMING FORWARD.

I DO APPRECIATE THE ENTHUSIASM, AND I LOVE THAT WE ARE AT THE CAREER FAIR BECAUSE I HEAR IT WAS WELL ATTENDED AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE THAT ACTION FORWARD.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME POLICY WORK DONE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MR. VAN DINE WANTS TO SPEAK TO THAT.

SURE, AND I THINK THE COUNCILLOR IS AN ONGOING COMMITMENT AND ONGOING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS THAT WE CAN BE DOING MORE.

WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IS THAT THE LABOR MARKET AND THE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IT IS REALLY COMPETITIVE, AND SO THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO OVER AND ABOVE THAT MAYBE WE'LL EVALUATE, BUT IN TERMS OF FINDING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE TO FILL THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, IT'S AN ONGOING, ONGOING COMMITMENT.

DIAVIK DID HAVE ITS RECRUITMENT FAIR.

WE DID HAVE PEOPLE PRESENT.

WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN MIGRATING SOME WORKFORCE FROM DIAVIK INTO OUR ORGANIZATION, AND WE'LL KEEP WE'LL KEEP LOOKING, BUT I THINK WE'LL WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BAR.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR EARS OPEN FOR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU. YEAH, AND TO CLARIFY, LIKE IN THE COMPETITIVE SPACE, IT'S JUST LIKE THE CITY IS TRYING TO COMPETE TO GET PEOPLE TO COME HERE VERSUS IT'S SO COMPETITIVE. IT'S HARD TO GET A JOB AT THE CITY.

SEEING NOTHING--OH, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY OWN.

THANKS TO STAFF AND THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK.

IT'S AWESOME TO SEE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

STAY TUNED. YOU'LL SEE THOSE JOB ADS POPPING UP IN THE NEW YEAR.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO AMEND FEES AND CHARGES BYLAW NUMBER 4436, AS AMENDED BY AMENDING PARTS FIVE, 14 AND 15 OF SCHEDULE B TO REFLECT

[7. A memorandum regarding whether to amend Fees and Charges By‐law No. 4436, as amended, by amending Parts 5, 14 and 15 of Schedule B to reflect changes approved in Budget 2025.]

WE DID GIVE FIRST READING, BUT SECOND AND THIRD WILL COME TONIGHT AT 7 P.M..

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? SEEING NONE.

THE NEXT NIGHT. NEXT ITEM IS IN-CAMERA.

[IN CAMERA]

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN-CAMERA.

MOVED BY DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE.

SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE, WE CAN MOVE IN-CAMERA.

BUSINESS ARISING FROM IN-CAMERA.

WE WILL APPOINT SEAN DEAN TO SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS.

WITH THAT, IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVE BY COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE.

WE CAN BE ADJOURNED. WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY AT 7 P.M.

[01:05:01]