NWT Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Poll

What do you think of our unique system of consensus government?

The current system works well and should be retained.	11%
Consensus government works but minor changes are needed for it to prosper.	45%
Consensus government is a nice idea but would require significant changes to make it more effective and accountable.	29%
Consensus government is ineffective and impractical.	8%
The NWT should change to a party system.	8%

Chamber responds to Draft NWT Hydro Strategy

February 23rd, 2009

The NWT Chamber of Commerce has submitted its position on the Draft NWT Hydro Strategy circulated for comment last month by the territorial government. Titled Power for Generations, the Chamber’s five-page paper examines all four key areas identified by the GNWT – including Preparing for Hydro Development; Protecting the Environment; Financing Future Hydroelectric Projects; and, Policy Initiatives.

“The NWT Chamber very much supports the idea of seeing further development of the vast hydroelectric potential here in the Territories,” said Curtis Shaw, NWT Chamber Vice-President. “Hydro projects are almost unmatched in their ability to simulate our Northern economy while also reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Chamber did caution the GNWT that it should not attempt to force the capital costs associated with hydro development on to the Northern business community.

“If the government wants business to buy in, it must make the economics attractive,” said Shaw. “The NWT Chamber of Commerce fully supports developing the hydroelectric potential of the North, but not if industry is forced to carry the financial load.”

The full copy of Power for Generations is available for download as a PDF document for members of the NWT Chamber and members of the community chambers of commerce around the NWT within the Members Only portion of the Chamber’s website, www.nwtchamber.com.

In association with the network of community Chambers of Commerce in Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Norman Wells, Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife as well as the Northern Aboriginal Business Association, the NWT Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of more than 865 members. For more than 35 years, it has been the only pan-territorial voice of businesses across all sectors of the Northern economy.

Comment on this article

Comments:

R. GIBEAULT said on 2009-03-07 08:10:55:

PERHAPS THE GNWT SHOULD CONCENTRATE THEIR SPENDING ON THE EXIISTING LINE FROM SNARE HYDRO. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REASON FOR A NUMBER OF THE POWER OUTAGES IN THE SUMMER IS BECAUSE THE LINE TO ABSORBS THE LIGHTENING STRIKES HAS BEEN DOWN FOR SOME TIME ON SECTIONS OF THIS HYDRO LINE. IF THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THE EXISTING LINES WE HAVE NOW HOW DO THEY EXPECT TO MAINTAIN NEW LINES. I THINK THE MONEY SHOULD BE INVESTED IN TRYING TO KEEP THE PRICE OF POWER AFFORDABLE.