Boyd Warner, owner of Adventure Northwest Ltd. in Yellowknife, said he supports guiding certification as long as it remains optional.

Adventure Northwest has been offering guiding services for the past 30 years and employs around 30 guides. None of Warner's guides are certified.

"It's my job to provide good guides to my clients. If you want to kill your business provide bad guides to your client. It's very self- correcting," said Warner.

Guiding has been a designated occupation with the territorial government for the past five years.

Brian Johnson, manager of apprenticeship, trade and occupation certification, with Education Culture and Employment said the number of guides being certified is steadily increasing.

He estimates around 10 local guides have passed the certification guidelines.

"Just in the last year or so it has been starting to pick up and spread," said Johnson.

Guides have to provide proof of work experience and pass a written exam to be certified as a fresh water angler guide or a hunting guide.

Hunting guides also have to be proficient in first aid and firearm legislation," said Johnson. The benefits to being certified, said Johnson, are guides can show proof of their competence and clients can be assured quality.

Warner, however, disagrees that guides need a certificate to prove competence.

"My polar bear guides are 50 or older, Inuit men, and if anyone said they were under-qualified they would probably shoot them. They just would never pass the exam," he said.

"I don't want it to become mandatory that only people with a piece of paper in their hand can guide."

"They've assured me that it won't, but my biggest concern is it is a stepping stone to no one can guide without certification."