Key takeaways: 

• So far, there have been ‘no quibbles’ with the demanded payment, states the economic development officer.
• Now, a new tax will ensure some prices to Cambridge Bay whether or not passengers choose to disembark.

When a big cruise ship called the Crystal Serenity came to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, in 2016, hundreds of the approximate 1,500 passengers and staff on board left.

They walked around town where some left donations at the Anglican Church, and others spent their cash at an art fair or bought a selection of regional foods.

But many passengers remained on board. Now, a new tax will assure some earnings to Cambridge Bay whether or not passengers choose to leave.

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With the Arctic cruise ship season beginning in July, Cambridge Bay – the western gateway to the Northwest Passage – has formed a $100 per passenger tax.

The $100 cost is “based on the prices of the entertainment that the municipality supplies to the visiting passengers,” stated Angela Gerbrandt, the community’s economic development officer.

This entertainment has guided walking tours through the community to places such as the heritage park and Canadian High Arctic Research Station, interpreters, and a rest-stop with regional food samples and tea at the community hall.

Source – cbc.ca