Chamber pushes for more advocacy
Chamber of Mines AGM sees losses, a new board and marketing push
Karen K. Ho
Northern News Services
Monday, November 30, 2015
NWT/NUNAVUT
The NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines finished the year with a new board, a deficit and a push to raise awareness among the general public about the importance of its industries to the territory's economy.
Fortune Minerals president and CEO Robin Goad, left, with Tlicho Investment Corporation president Jasper Lamouelle at the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines' annual general meeting on Nov. 25. Goad nominated Lamouelle as a director of the organization, citing his experience in the mining industry and the chamber's objective of increasing participation from the Aboriginal community. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo
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At its annual general meeting, held at the Yellowknife Inn on Nov. 25, more than 60 members, executives and staff heard how the organization is expected to finish the fiscal year ending March 31 with a deficit of $30,504, compared to a surplus of $25,469 in 2014.
Treasurer Alex Buchan of TMAC Resources said this is the first time the organization has been in the red since 2009.
"This deficit is a reflection of the difficult times we are experiencing in the marketplace," he said. "Had we not had that drop in attendance at the (2014) Geoscience Forum ... we would have balanced our books."
Buchan said they had hoped to make $18,000 in additional revenues from the forum and $12,000 more in membership fees.
Buchan also cited the cost of the organization's Nunavut office and said continued weakening of the commodity markets meant the chamber would be forced into another deficit budget for the remainder of this fiscal year.
"However, I would like to reassure you we are working to increase revenues and decrease costs so we can minimize that deficit," he said. "And perhaps even emerge with a balanced budget."
New board takes the reins
This year the chamber elected Gary Vivian as president, Corey McLachlan as vice-president for the NWT, John Laitin as vice-president for Nunavut and Alex Buchan as treasurer.
There were 24 directors elected to the chamber's board this year, with five new individuals including Denendeh Investment Inc. CEO Darrell Beaulieu, Olivut Exploration's Leni Keough, Northquest president Jon North, McLennan Ross LLP's Adam Vivian and Tlicho Investment Corp. president Jasper Lamouelle. The latter was nominated at the meeting itself by Fortune Minerals president and CEO Robin Goad.
Advocacy and awareness key issues
Chamber president Gary Vivian spoke strongly about the need for members to unite in countering the negative perceptions about the mining and exploration industries, especially in light of the draft of a conservation plan released earlier this year proposing the NWT set aside 40 per cent for conservation.
"Permanent land withdrawals will affect all Northerners, in perpetuity," he said.
Vivian cited the results of a recent survey done by conservation group Ducks Unlimited that suggested people in the NWT supported protecting 50 per cent of the territory and that economic development was a low priority.
"This was a targeted survey to provide very biased results," he said. "The chamber needs to help push the education of the public. There is no understanding of what we do as explorationists and miners. We need to engage."
Vivian said the chamber would be initiating a communications plan that will focus on creating awareness of the industry in both territories.
"Our new government (in the NWT) will need a constant reminder that economic survival needs to be a priority," he said, calling minerals and oil and gas the only sustainable industry for both the near future and the long term.
