August 9, 2018
When Desiree Bagnall joined the ITI team as Tourism Resource and Programs Officer earlier this year, her passion for building Indigenous tourism was palpable.
Last week, that passion earned her a coveted seat at the first annual Economic Development Youth Summit in Edmonton; a conference that gathered youth from across Canada to learn and speak about economic development.
To earn her seat, Desiree had to apply and pen a letter explaining why she believes that Indigenous economic development is important and how she plans to engage in it. Highlighting her current work with ITI, Desiree wrote about promoting tourism as a means for self-sustainability, entrepreneurship and economic diversification within the NWT’s Indigenous communities.
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The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), who organized the summit, selected Desiree as one of the 50 youth to attend the conference with all expenses covered.
“It was one of the most moving experiences of my life,” she says. “The sheer pride and determination of Canada’s Indigenous youth to initiate change and become stewards of their own destinies - all while leading their communities was extremely inspiring.”
Over five days, participants were broken into groups and given daily challenges that contributed to an overarching project: develop a land-use plan for 10 acres of Indigenous-owned property and present it to the conference.
“My group developed a gas bar and a business that provided building materials and pre-built modular homes to address the housing crisis within Indigenous communities,” Desiree explains. “It was well-received and we ended up taking home second place!”
The insights and experiences Desiree collected during her time at the conference will be put to good use as she works closely with local operators, tourism mentors, and those new to the industry through her work at ITI.