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Return of the chamber
Group would provide a voice for business community

Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 25/00) - Barbara Black is a businesswoman looking for answers.

Black, branch manager at Inuvik's Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, says she hopes to "gain knowledge" from a meeting being held next month as part of an effort to re-establish the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce.

"Going to the meeting here is a real fact- finding thing," Black said.

"I don't know what the group's looking to do."

Black, who came to Inuvik in February, has been involved in two chambers of commerce in the past.

The Inuvik chamber has not existed for about three years.

"It's important to have some sort of group in place to voice the business concerns," she said.

Councillor Derek Lindsay agreed.

"Some of the businesses have inquired about the lack of a chamber, and it was even an issue at town council at one time, because without a chamber of commerce, it's hard to know exactly what the business community want," Lindsay said.

Many roles possible

He said chambers in Yellowknife and his home town in British Columbia do a "bang up" job in tourism and promoting their towns.

An Inuvik chamber could do the same thing here.

Lindsay said "burnout factor" among its members

was the reason for the collapse of the previous Inuvik chamber of commerce.

"It was the same old people doing the same thing," he said. "It's time to try and seed it with some new blood."

Lindsay said the chamber could perform a number of functions, such as issuing business licences.

"If there was a chamber, they (new businesses) would know they would have to go to the chamber and register. Then we'd at least know who's here and who does what," Lindsay said. "It's beneficial to everyone."

"We seem to have more interest than we've had in a long time."

Brian Desjardins, tourism co-ordinator for the Town of Inuvik, is organizing the meeting and agreed there's plenty of interest.

"As far as my involvement is concerned, it's just making businesses aware of this meeting, and I've received overwhelming response so far, via e-mail and phone calls," Desjardins said.

"From my position, if there is an Inuvik Chamber of Commerce created, it would be advantageous so that, instead of approaching each business with projects that I have ideas about, you approach your chamber of commerce," he said.

"It's definitely needed."

Lindsay said the Sept. 6 meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. in town council chambers, gives people a chance to say what they think a chamber should do, and find out what a chamber of commerce does in a community.