As Garry Best made his way back to Happy Valley-Goose Bay from Nain in mid-June, it struck the newly appointed president and CEO of the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies (NGC) how much things have changed. And, in some ways, how they haven’t.

Prior to his appointment the month before, he’d spent half a lifetime away, working as a naval officer with the Canadian Forces and then in public service roles. He now heads the economic development corporation of Nunatsiavut, an umbrella organization for a collection of diverse businesses including aviation, real estate, mine site services and more. The NGC operates under the Labrador Inuit Capital Strategy Trust. The for-profit corporation was created in 2011, for the benefit of Labrador Inuit.

“Coming back after four decades, it is a new Labrador in many respects,” he told Atlantic Business Magazine.

For one thing, he said, there are plenty of jobs and emerging entrepreneurial activities. He’s seeing momentum in business development, capital investments linked to the energy transition, and most importantly a variety of new roles available for people within Labrador.

“You don’t have to go across the Maritimes or to Central Canada to work, you can stay home. You can be in Labrador. And you can take on supervisory and management and executive positions in companies we own,” he said, referring to established Indigenous-led businesses, and businesses with Indigenous ownership interest.

“That’s not always been the case. In fact, that’s the new Labrador. It’s the bright light of opportunity for everybody,” he said.

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