Kivalliq hotels, tourist attraction to receive major investments

Three Kivalliq hotels will be getting a facelift thanks to new federal funding announced Wednesday.

Federal tourism minister Mlanie Joly announced $786,000 in new federal tourism funding in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

"Indigenous tourism has grown significantly in the last decade," said Joly in a press release. "By working in partnership with Inuit in the Kivalliq, we are able to keep up with the increased needs of visitors in these communities."

That funding is just a fraction of the total cost of upgrades.ArcticCo-operatives, a co-operative service federation owned and directed by the local Co-ops in Nunavut, N.W.T. and Yukon,committed to investing more than $4.2 million in the renovations.

The federal government will contribute $250,000 each to co-op hotels and retail outlets in Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove. They say the money will go towardnew rooms, furnishings, and "high-efficiency systems" to decrease their power usage.

Duane Wilson, vice president of stakeholder relations for Arctic Co-operatives, called the federal investment "significant."

"These markets are very thin,"said Wilson. "The reality is that sometimes it takes some additional investment to tip the scale of something being practical or not."

Arctic Co-operatives are collectively owned and operated by the community they are in. Many offer fuel and groceries alongside accommodation and other services.

"What the co-op really represents is... a source of pride... [and] a source of training and development," said Wilson. "It's really an opportunity for a means of self-determination."

The funding comes from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, or CanNor. According to the agency, the three hotels employ 56 people between them.

Sod houses to become cultural tourism site

In the release, CanNor also committed to $36,000 for the "revitalization" of Thule Qarnrnaqs, an archeological site near Chesterfield Inlet.

Historical sod houses will be mapped and "interpretive signage" will be developed in consultation with elders and youth, the release states.

"The development of an Inuit archaeological site provides the hamlet with new tourism and related business opportunities," the release reads.

"The mapping of these important historical sites will help to preserve Chesterfield Inlet's richhistory for generations to come," said Chesterfield Inlet deputy mayor Jimmy Krako in a written statement.

The hamlet is also contributing to the development of the site, committing to spendjust over $9,000on the initiative.