Newfoundland and Labrador Product Development Strategy

- 203 -" World class carvers in Nain and grass workers in Rigolet" Artisans such as boat and canoe builders, trappers, people who can demonstratewilderness survival skills, skin clothing makers and snow house builders are located inevery region" Tea doll makers in Sheshatshui" Musicians such as Harry Martin in Cartwright, the Flummies of Lake Melville andShirley Montague of North West River" Inuit Drum Dancers in Nain" Visual artists such as Annette Janes in Labrador West" Theatre artists such as the Carol Players in Labrador City and Mokami Players in HappyValley-Goose Bay" Storytellers such as Ches Lethbridge and Doris Saunders, and" Writers such as Boyd Chubbs and Carol Brice-BennettYoung artists are being developed through events such as the Labrador Creative Arts Festival.The building of community capacity to tell the story is dealt with below.2) Engaging CommunitiesSuccess in building a regional tourism industry requires collaboration between communities,non-profit organizations and businesses. Communities, with their heritage assets, services andfacilities are the focal points of tourism development and having their buy-in and support iscritical. On the other hand, not all communities have the potential (or the interest) for success inthe tourism industry. At the regional level, having successful collaboration betweencommunities is a major objective as inter-community rivalries will inhibit tourism growth andquality development.A program of community consultation therefore needs to be undertaken in Labrador, tobring residents, business people and service groups together. Successful consultation (asopposed to tokenism) requires time and effort; to hold kitchen table meetings, communitymeetings, workshops and school assemblies. The organization(s) best equipped to take the leadon this work will likely differ by community and region. In a particular region for example, itcould be the zonal board with help from the heritage society and schools. In Nunatsiavut, itwould likely be the Labrador Inuit Association, possibly with its cultural wing Torngâsok." Setting Tourism GoalsCommunities need to decide on their goals for tourism development; on what they defineas “complementary to the community” in terms of, for example, environmentalstewardship and land or favourite fishing spots that should be out of bounds to visitors." Telling the Labrador StoryDifferent aspects of the story can be told in different regions and communities, playing tolocal strengths, such as; The Natural History Centre being developed at Point Amour inthe Straits, “Carving out the Wilderness” in Labrador West, or Inuit and Innu traditionson the North Coast.THE ECONOMIC PLANNING GROUP of Canada Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism Product DevelopmentD. W. Knight Associates Strategy and Accommodation Needs Study