Local business leaders revive Inuvik Chamber
October 26th, 2009
The NWT Chamber of Commerce is congratulating Inuvik businesses on officially regaining a voice of their own now that a local chamber has re-emerged in the town.
“Our Board is very pleased to see the chamber movement take root once again in Inuvik,” said NWT Chamber President Ann Marie Tout. “The dedicated volunteers who have come together there can count on our full support at the territorial level as they work to strengthen their fledgling organization.”
As a first step, the Inuvik Chamber will enjoy a free Regular Membership in the NWT Chamber until the end of 2010. In addition to other benefits, this gives the town’s business community instant representation on the Board of Directors of the territorial organization.
“The power of the chamber network in the NWT comes in part from bringing together business leaders with diverse interests, allowing them to overcome vast distances to achieve common goals,” said Tout. “We look forward to working with them on issues of territorial concern, such as pushing for the completion of an all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway and construction of the Mackenzie Gas Project.”
Initially taking the reins in Inuvik will be Acting President Larry Peckford, who in addition to other activities in town owns and operates consulting firm Peckford & Associates. Having been involved in the chamber movement for 30 years prior to moving to Inuvik, his resume even includes a three-year stint as President of the Bay St. George Chamber of Commerce in Newfoundland.
“For me, getting a chamber up and running here again is really the way to go in Inuvik,” said Peckford during a Small Business Week reception hosted in the Beaufort-Delta community by the NWT Chamber. “You can feel the energy in this town is changing and we need to bring businesses together so that we can work toward improving everyone’s situation.”
The reception, held at Tonimoes on the evening of October 20, was presented with the support of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Canadian North and Air North, Yukon’s Airline.
“We would very much like to thank our sponsors for this event,” said John Curran, NWT Chamber Executive Director. “The Chamber relies heavily on promotional partners for most of the initiatives we undertake. Like all volunteer-based organizations working under a mandate to improve life in the North, it is often the goodwill of the business community that makes the difference between our success and failure, so that support is always appreciated.”
In association with the network of community Chambers of Commerce in Inuvik, 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:
Derek Lindsay said on 2009-10-26 16:48:54:
I wish the newly established Inuvik Chamber of Commerce all the best in their quest to reactivate the Chamber. As past president of the Inuvik Chamber, I know the local busness owners will come together to make this a strong and viable chamber. As the chamber prospers so will the community.
