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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
For the past three years, while working as an internal audit manager for the GNWT, Denis Bergevin, the city's newest certified general accountant (CGA), completed the CGA program, one course per session.

New certified general accountant Denis Bergevin, right, is admitted to the membership of the NWT and Nunavut CGA Association by Jim Martin, education chair of the accountants' association. - photo courtesy Denis Bergevin

Bergevin, who already held certification in internal auditing when he joined the territorial government in 2009, did not need the accounting certification to do his job, but that did not stop his employer from supporting him in becoming an official member of the NWT and Nunavut CGA Association.

"They supported me to complete my CGA, they really encouraged me to do so," Bergevin said from his Laing Building office, where he is internal audit manager for the Department of Finance. "(The certification's) not an essential requirement for the position but it gives you some knowledge in regards to accounting and also management issues that the different departments may face, so by getting a better understanding of what they have to deal with on a daily basis, it allows me to do a better job as being their auditor.

"I'm very proud of myself, being able to complete the CGA program and now demonstrating my professionalism in accountancy."

Bergevin was one of three CGA students awarded their CGA designations and admitted to the membership of the NWT and Nunavut CGA Association at the admission to membership ceremony on Sept. 29.

The other two students awarded their CGA designations at the ceremony were Arvind Vashishtha of Inuvik and Susan Nichols of Iqaluit.

At 55, Bergevin said he hopes his CGA designation will demonstrate to the younger people at his office that there is always a need to continue professional development.

"I'm close to the end of my career, compared to some of them, so I have young people here who are in their 20s and early 30s," Bergevin said. "And it's kind of a way to demonstrate to them that continuous professional development and learning is important for your career. And this is where it can bring you. Especially when they only have a couple years in the workforce, it kind of gives them something to aim for."

Born in Montreal, the bilingual Bergevin also has international governance experience as an international relations manager for the territory of Europe and French-speaking countries.

He has been involved in other CGA associations and noted the networking entity of the NWT and Nunavut CGA Association was stronger than in other major centres, where they could have thousands of members.

The NWT/Nunavut CGA Association has 122 members, of which 68 are in Yellowknife, according to Jim Martin, chair of the education committee.

There has been increasing demand for accountants in the North, both in the NWT and Nunavut, according to Martin, who said one of the strategic objectives of the association is to continue to grow the number of CGAs in the North through partnerships with Northern colleges.

"As we grow, our strength is in numbers and our strength comes from our membership base and student base," Martin said.

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