ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - The NWT Chamber of Commerce has named Dehcho Regional Helicopters the 2010 Business of the Year.

Joanne Deneron, president of Dehcho Regional Helicopters, is congratulated by Great Slave Helicopters president Jeff Denomme on the Dehcho company's recent naming as Business of the Year by the NWT Chamber of Commerce. - photo courtesy of Discovery Air

Joanne Deneron, president of the 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned company, was on hand in Yellowknife to receive the award during the chamber's annual general meeting on April 14 and 15.

"I just couldn't believe it because usually awards like that go to really big, prestigious companies – the Matcos, the Bradenburys of the world. Not little Dehcho Regional Helicopters," said Deneron.

"It was a shock that you can be small and mighty. That you can win."

Dehcho Regional Helicopters, created in 2004, is a partnership between Acho Dene Koe First Nation, Fort Simpson Metis Local 52, Nahanni Butte Dene Band, Sambaa K’e First Nation and Jean Marie River First Nation as well as Discovery Air subsidiary Great Slave Helicopters.

The company has bases in Fort Liard, Fort Simpson and Yellowknife.

During the company's founding, "Each partner put in $500,000," said Deneron.

Deneron attributed the company's success to its having solid contracts.

"I guess it's just having the opportunity to have good contracts that we were able to secure. That definitely helped in the line of business for the company," she said.

One of those contracts is for the department of Environment and Natural Resources, which must frequently perform checks by air to protect against forest fires.

"Often in Fort Liard, with the timber that they have there, if there is some smoke or something that needs to be (checked), they would have to get a helicopter just to scout it out, to make sure whether it requires any further work to it," she explained.

The company is also on the lookout for future opportunities, such as the expansion of oil and gas exploration activity in the NWT, but it's not hitching its wagon solely to the Mackenzie Gas Project, long touted as a basin-opening project but continually mired by doubts about its economics and chances of startup.

Last week, Dehcho Grand Chief Sam Gargan told the National Energy Board the $16.2 billion pipeline should not go through without a Dehcho land claim.

"That isn't the end-all right there," said Deneron of the pipeline. "There's other small contracts to be picked up along the line … to keep the business going so that we're not just solely depending on the gas and oil development, whether it's going to happen or not."

She pointed to the overall NWT mining sector – which is expecting increased exploration this year, according to Natural Resources Canada – as well as Canadian Zinc Corporation's Prairie Creek mine near Nahanni Butte – which is currently undergoing environmental assessment – as offering much future potential.

"I think we just have to keep our ears open to make sure that if the opportunity arises where our services can be utilized for mines like that," she said. "Its up to Dehcho Regional Helicopters to market that and make sure we let people know what we can do."

In 2008, the company purchased its own helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 B2.

Kirby Groat, a chamber of commerce board member and co-owner of Deh Cho Suites in Fort Simpson, praised the company for its progressiveness, holding it as an example of what can be done in the Dehcho.

"I am in business and I have been for a number of years and I find it very gratifying and well-worth doing," he said. "There are not enough companies working in the Dehcho. We are very short of business.

"If you run a business properly, it will have great chances of success and they've proven that."