Current ads
Jobs
Tenders
Notices
General

Click below

GN won't mingle in Happy Valley

Charter cancelled to Labrador Trade Show

SARA MINOGUE

Nunavut will have scant representation at the Voisey's Bay and Beyond Trade show that starts in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador tomorrow.

One month ago, the government of Nunavut's department of economic development and transportation sent out 30 invitations by email and fax to potential delegates. They received just three responses, and later decided to cancel plans to charter a plane.

Now, instead of an entourage of government and business people, just two Nunavut delegates are planning to attend: Hal Timar will represent the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce and Betty-Ann Eaton will represent the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce and her employer, First Air.

Brian Fowlow is the project director for Northlink, a Labrador North Chamber of Commerce spin-off designed to build links between small and medium-sized businesses in the Canadian and international North.

"I'm a little surprised," he said. "They seemed fairly keen to come."

Trade show organizers sent out information and brochures several months ago, Fowlow said. The GN, he speculated, may have started their organizing too late.

In an email sent to several interested parties on Monday, Reuben Murphy, the GN's director of innovation and economic development in Pangnirtung, said the lack of interest was due to "poor timing," "prior engagements" and a "lack of resources to attend the conference."

Two years ago, Nunavummiut at the 2003 Voisey's Bay and Beyond trade show pledged allegiance to stronger ties to the Labrador business community when the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, then led by Steve Cook, signed a memorandum of understanding with Northlink.

At the time, the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce wanted to open an office in Iqaluit, and include a staff member from Labrador, but that hasn't happened.

"We're hoping eventually there will be a need for that," Fowlow said, "At the current level of activity, there's no need to have a full-time person now."

In spite of the low business activity, Fowlow still describes relations between the two regions as "fairly strong," and points out that ties are stronger between businesses than governments.

An example is a deal announced in April that will see the Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Association deliver 320 tonnes of turbot to Labrador for processing at the Torngat Fish Producers Co-operative Society of Makkovik.

More deals were made at the 2005 Nunavut Trade Show. Northlink brought 22 Labrador delegates to Iqaluit, several of whom returned with new business ties.

David Hunt, president of the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce, expects to formalize one or two contracts in Nunavut for his office supply company.

The Labrador Inuit Development Corp. sent three people who met with the Baffin Fisheries Coalition, and also met with the GN to discuss Nunavut's first marble quarry in the south Baffin, modeled after the Ten Mile Bay quarry in Labrador.

Labrador is also home to the Woodward Group, which holds the GN contract to ship fuel to the Baffin and Kivalliq regions.

In spite of these ties, not everyone in Nunavut is making Labrador a priority for trade and business links.

Ken Spencer was appointed president of the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce on May 31, after nearly two years of involvement with the group.

"I can't honestly say that we've discussed business liaisons with Labrador although we have across the North with Yellowknife and Yukon," he said.

Spencer, who is also assistant vice-president for Nunavut at Northwestel in Iqaluit, says local issues are the foremost concern for the ICOC.

"There is a cultural link, obviously. I think economically, we are a stronger entity, and you tend to look for connections to the next level, which in our case, if we go from Nunavut, we go from Northwest Territories to the Yukon."

TOP

Advertising
Specs, rates,
& maps
Multi-paper
buying services
About the market
E-mail ad dept

More Information