Rankin Inlet (Apr 05/06) - The Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce enjoyed a strong turnout for its 26th annual general meeting in Rankin Inlet this past week.

All seven Kivalliq communities were represented at the event, which featured a strong lineup of presenters for the 55 to 60 gathered members.

Ellie Cansfield was re-elected as chamber president during the meeting.

Also elected to the executive were Brock Junkin (secretary-treasurer), Danny Kowmuk (1st vice-president) and David Toolooktook (2nd vice-president).

Cansfield said discussions were held on how government policy affected the private sector during the past year.

She said the chamber was also informed the Kivalliq business community will be happy when it hears the government's announcement on dry-cargo shipping. The announcement is expected this week.

Cansfield said people shouldn't misjudge the chamber's effectiveness simply because it can't always go public with its efforts.

"We're, essentially, a lobby group, and sometimes people we meet with don't want it to be in plain view," said Cansfield.

"We take whatever means we can to lobby the Kivalliq business point of view.

"Sometimes we can do that in public, but, if the person or group we're in discussions with prefer they be private, then private it is."

Cansfield said two issues the Chamber will pursue in 2006 are the creation of a Nunavut Chamber of Commerce and the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) or Assistance for Nunavut Businesses policy.

Cansfield said a Nunavut chamber would do very much what the Kivalliq chamber does - focus on policy issues.

She said policy should affect all regions equally.

"A Nunavut Chamber could focus on larger policy issues and speak on behalf of Nunavut at the national level.

"In the Kivalliq chamber, we take a regional point of view and work hard to ensure representation from every community.

"Every business and community has an equal vote at our table."

Cansfield said the chamber will be lobbying the Government of Nunavut (GN) to revisit its NNI policy.

She said while the chamber supports the policy, its members have legitimate concerns over how the government defines Inuit, Northern and local companies.

"We'd like the government to look at the actual definitions, rather than just a simple legal structure of a corporation.

"Maybe, they (GN) could look to where the heart and soul of a corporation is, because that impacts upon the local business community."