Maria Canton
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Aug 09/99) - A partnership between four companies and the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce has led to the launch of the first-ever Nunavut Business Directory.

With more than 65-pages of listings in Inuktitut and English, chamber president Chris Cote says the project has been in the making for almost two years.

"We wanted to have the printed edition ready by last spring's Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit," he said.

"The online version was ready, but we weren't able to get the printed one out until last month."

Distributed to all of the businesses that are registered with the directory, some 400 of them, Northern and southern government agencies and those that were at the trade show but unable to get a copy, Cote says the exposure should lead to an increase in businesses wanting to register.

"Now that we have the first edition of the printed version out, we hope the number of businesses will increase as well as interest in the project," he said.

Businesses registered in the directory are looking to take advantage of the benefits they think will soon follow.

Theresa Kakkianium, who does the accounting for Guy's Arctic Char in Pelly Bay, says it will give their business a chance to sell more fish.

"Being registered in the directory will not only give us exposure across the North, but also with Southerners," she said.

"It gives us a chance to get our business out there in a way that will reach a lot of different people."

The online version, which companies can register through for no charge, is updated every month and gives companies a worldwide audience.

This platform is particularly good for tourism in Nunavut, says the manager of Tulugak Hotel Inns North in Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly Broughton Island).

"We've been receiving a lot of calls and a lot more of our guests are tourists," says Mary Killiktee.

"We've never really had all of the interested tourists before."

The chamber and its partners -- Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Sustainable Development, Pan Arctic Inuit Logistics and Nortext Multimedia -- canvased more than 700 Eastern Arctic businesses when the project first began.

"Working on the directory gave us the opportunity to reach out and gather information and encourage Inuit-owned firms to register," said Cote.

To be eligible for Inuit firm status, a company must be approved by Nunavut Tunnagik Inc., as either having an Inuk sole proprietorship, a majority Inuit partnership, a co-operative controlled by Inuit or a corporation 51 per cent or more beneficially owned and controlled by Inuit.

Inuit firms are marked in the printed edition with an Inukshuk and in the on-line edition with bold type.

The Web site for the directory is www.nunavut.com