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INUVIK
The Inuvik Chamber of Commerce's newly-elected president did not mince words about the state of the local economy at last Friday's annual general meeting.

Newly-elected Inuvik Chamber of Commerce president Newton Grey addresses an audience of about 25 at the chamber's annual general meeting held last Friday at Tonimoes Restaurant in the Mackenzie Hotel. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

Newton Grey opened his speech by singing one of his favourite songs as a child – There's a Hole in My Bucket – which he used as the theme for his vision.

"The bucket has some holes, we have some plugs, and we will be plugging away," said Grey.

About 25 people gathered in the meeting room at Tonimoes Restaurant in the Mackenzie Hotel Friday evening for the meeting, which John Ritchie, acting president of the chamber until Grey was elected, said was a very high and encouraging turnout.

In Ritchie's outgoing presidential report to the chamber, he said this increased participation was encouraging because, "in our current economic state, the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce is needed now more than ever."

He said that the chamber will be looked to in the coming months to help mitigate the increase of energy costs and to lobby on behalf of businesses for a proposed Mackenzie Valley fibre-optic link and the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway.

Ritchie was elected as secretary for the chamber for the coming year.

Mayor Denny Rodgers also spoke to the importance of a strong chamber of commerce in his address.

Having started in small business, he knows first-hand how important it is "to have that collective voice when approaching whatever you're dealing with in the community," said Rodgers.

Specifying what he saw as holes in the bucket of Inuvik, Grey highlighted several problems faced by businesses and residents alike: People are sick of the pipeline debate, of stressing about transportation issues during freezeup and breakup each year, about the possibility of electrical bill increases, the increasing problem of online gambling that diverts money away from the local economy – "and I won't even talk about natural gas," he said.

However, Grey said that in what may seem like troubled times, there are many sustainable opportunities for those who do business up here. For example, the inauguration of the second satellite at the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility has people as far away as France, Sweden and Japan talking about Inuvik, he said. There are also opportunities for tourism and arts – including two possible film projects that may be coming to the area by the end of the summer.

"We must take advantage of these opportunities so that Inuvik stays alive," said Grey.

Newly-elected vice-president Bright Lubansa echoed this need for businesses to play to the advantages of Inuvik's location.

"We have one of the geographically best positions in the world and we need to take advantage of it," he said.

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