INUVIK - The Inuvik Chamber of Commerce has re-emerged with five business owners looking for support from the rest of the business community.

NWT Chamber of Commerce executive director John Curran, left, addresses a crowd of more than two dozen local business leaders as Larry Peckford signs a form officially restarting the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 20. - photo courtesy of the NWT Chamber of Commerce

Larry Peckford, who operates consulting firm Peckford & Associates, officially took charge of the group at a gathering of business people at Tonimoes restaurant on Oct. 20, that was organized by the NWT Chamber of Commerce to celebrate Small Business Week.

Peckford, who's also co-ordinator of the Inuvik Interagency Committee, said he was encouraged by the new membership, including Vince Brown, Khalid Abdalkrim, Joe Lavoie and Cliff Stringer.

He's hoping the group will be an important tool to bring the community together.

"They're good people and I was more than happy to put my name to it help it along," said Peckford.

"When you get a group of focused individuals speaking with one voice they can really make people sit up and take notice."

The group will aim to connect local businesses and will also be linked with the NWT Chamber of Commerce, which has 865 members.

Peckford spent three years as president of the Bay St. George Chamber of Commerce in Newfoundland and several years as vice president. The two regions, he said, have similar economies and challenges.

Chambers "certainly do have a record to bring influence to things that affect business, whether it be taxes, development or just having the community speak with a single voice around some major issues," said peckford. "In my experience that's been pretty powerful."

Inuvik's last chamber of commerce operated more than five years ago, and lasted only a year.

Currently the group consists of acting members. Peckford said he hopes to schedule a meeting before Christmas to try to recruit about 20 to 25 business owners. In spring, he said, the group would like to hold an annual general meeting where members will be elected to executive positions and bylaws and other governance details will be established.

In the meantime, Peckford is just trying to keep the momentum going.

"My role is to help move it along," he said. "It's not about what I want."

Fellow member Joe Lavoie said he's excited about making progress with the chamber.

"We want to work with the community to put forth a vision of the community from a business perspective and a community perspective as well," he said. "We're just trying to get some members signed up so that we can bring forth their concerns."

The ultimate goal, he said, is to strengthen businesses by working together.

"Maybe there's some businesses that need some assistance in regard to accounting practices. We all need assistance to some degree. We all should be working together."