Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 14, 2008

BAFFIN REGION - If you build it, they will come.

That's what the Labrador North and Baffin Regional chambers of commerce are banking on as they make final preparations for the first-ever Northern Lights Trade Show, a showcase for business opportunities in Nunavut, Labrador and Nunavik, a recently-settled land claim in the northern part of Quebec.

The conference, lasting from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, will take place in Ottawa.

"We want to promote what we have to offer in the eastern regions to the rest of Canada," said Brian Fowlow, director of the Labrador chamber.

"These regions have a lot of opportunity that is untapped, like mining, mineral exploration, fisheries, forestry, energy."

What's preventing these opportunities from being explored is a disconnect between the North and south, especially the Eastern Arctic, added Fowlow.

"There's more publicity in the west, with the diamond mines going on," he said.

The two chambers hatched the idea while attending the Meet the North conference in Edmonton and noticing the east was poorly represented.

"Brian and I said, 'We need something like this for Nunavut and Labrador,'" said Hal Timar, executive director of the Baffin chamber. "In about 15 minutes, we had drafted a preliminary budget."

Twenty months of groundwork later, the conference is nearly ready to go. There will be more than 400 delegates attending and some 40 to 50 Nunavut exhibitors, such as Nunavut Insurance Brokers and Ayaya Marketing and Communications.

It's all been a little much for Timar for process.

"Imagine: we're two chambers with a combined membership of less than 300 people, holding a $2 million event, representing three territories, in Ottawa - yeah, there's a lot to do," said Timar.

There will be speakers on tap, such as General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces, who will be speaking on the issue of Northern sovereignty.

The conference will also feature a considerable cultural component, with artistic displays on hand throughout the conference. Insolita, a spin-off group of Cirque de Soleil, will perform a 20-minute, aboriginal-themed dance.

"Arts and culture have always been important to the North, not just from a cultural standpoint, but from an economic development standpoint as well," said Timar.