Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 03/02) - Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce needs a break. The deadline for its NWT chamber dues is closing in, but $1,000 is just too much money.

"We're strapped for cash," said Yellowknife chamber president David McPherson. The non-profit organization could come up with an NWT Chamber of Commerce membership fee but the cost is too high, he said.

"We're just not really agreeing on what we should be paying," he said.

The Yellowknife chamber has a mandate to link and support the city's businesses promoting and creating business opportunity. The NWT chamber has a similar goal but acts as a voice for business from the whole territory.

Part of the NWT chamber's fee amount depends on whether the member organization has a representative sitting and voting on the territorial chamber's board of directors.

"They want us to have one of our members on their board," said McPherson.

Membership to the NWT chamber by regional chambers is $10 per member to a maximum of $1,000. That gives regional chambers a chance to vote on issues. Non-voting members pay $250. "So it's either $250 or $1,000 and I would like to get it somewhere in the middle."

The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce has about 310 members -- that's down from last year's total numbers by nearly 120 people. Membership dues are its greatest revenue maker.

Most of its expenses come from two employees and office space.

The NWT chamber is having its annual general meeting in Inuvik later this month. McPherson wasn't sure if a Yellowknife chamber board member would be there or not.

"Our board is still reviewing the situation and we hope to get together with Dave and the Yellowknife chamber in the very near future and see if we can resolve this issue," said NWT chamber executive director Maria Mathews.

NWT chamber fees are deadlined to be paid in time for the Inuvik general meeting, April 16-18.

"So as far as we're concerned they are in good standing right now," said Mathews.