KIVALLIQ/NUNAVUT - An entity from the past is trying to re-establish itself as the voice of Nunavut business.

The Nunavut Chamber of Commerce was originally formed in 1992 in anticipation of the territory's division.

Ray Mercer: Nunavut Chamber of Commerce interim president says it's imperative Nunavut business has a strong voice in future developments.

It was incorporated in 1993, but ceased operations a few years later.

For the past year, a strong movement has been underway to revive the chamber to be a united voice for Nunavut's business community.

Longtime Northerner and Rankin Inlet resident Ray Mercer was the founding president of the original Nunavut chamber, and is the new chamber's interim president.

Mercer said once business leaders began seeing a need for a Nunavut chamber, an interim executive had to bring the chamber into good standing with the Societies Act.

He said that's been accomplished and the chamber is legally registered once again.

"We're in the midst of a strong membership drive and, hopefully, we'll have a new executive in place by the coming spring," said Mercer.

"We may piggyback it onto the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting and move forward from there."

The Nunavut chamber attended a Northern chambers meeting in Whitehorse this past August, which included the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Mercer said the Nunavut chamber also participated in the Arctic Bridge meetings in Winnipeg, which brought together China, Russia, Nunavut, Manitoba and Canada to try and stimulate trade between international organizations through Northern seaways.

He said the Nunavut economy can be driven to its full potential by fostering entrepreneurial spirit and community values.

"Pretty well every Northern chamber attended the Whitehorse meetings, as we worked to find common thread across the North to deal with the development we see coming towards us.

"We want to speak as a common voice to have a say on development as it happens.

"Chambers are set up so you have your community, regional, and provincial or territorial chambers, and then a national chamber for Canada.

"It lobbies Ottawa on the interests of the provincial and territorial chambers, and we want a seat on the Canadian chamber board so we have a voice to lobby Ottawa on issues that affect Nunavut, the NWT, Yukon and Labrador."

Mercer said once the Nunavut chamber is recognized as the voice that speaks for Nunavut, it will advocate strongly on behalf of Nunavut business on the issues of transportation infrastructure, human resource development, and partnerships and liaisons.

He said Nunavut must have the direct line of communication to Ottawa that being on the board of the national chamber provides.

"There's no minimum number of members we need to obtain a seat on the national chamber.

"But, we require 51 per cent of our membership to be present at our meeting to constitute a quorum to vote on our new executive.

"We need to get our new executive in place and, in the meantime, we'll continue with our membership drive.

"Meanwhile, the executive we do have will continue to represent Nunavut on any issues that arise concerning the territory's business community."

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