On Tuesday April 20, 2010 will be the 5th Annual Territorial Skills Competition for Skills Nunavut held in Iqaluit. This one day event will be held from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm at Inuksuk High School.

Each year the Nunavut Business Achievement Awards are held to recognize those usinesses who shine above the rest. The awards are open to any business in Nunavut. Nominations are given to the BRCC who then have a review committee who then decide based on a point scale the winners.

Congratulations to all of our winners of the 2009 Business Achievement Awards that were held at the Discovery Lodge on Wednesday May 6, 2009 sponsored by the Tower Group of Companies. It was a wonderful event, and all were pleased with the evening.

Categories and recipients

Special Achievement - Ray Lovell

Business of the Year - Boothia Ventures

Lifetime Achievement - Qikiqtaaluk Corporation

Special Recognition - The late Mike Hine

Business Person of the Year - Wilfred Wilcox

In May 2009, representatives from the Baffin Regional and Labrador North Chambers of Commerce traveled to Edmonton to take part in the Meet the North Trade Show and Conference. The Meet the North show is an opportunity for the western arctic and northern provinces to meet, network and learn about new opportunities.  For more information on that show, please go to www.meetthenorth.com

For our part, along with the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce, we were there to promote the next Northern Lights show to take place in January 2010. According to organization that were returning to the show, the attendance was not as high as it had been in past years, however there were still plenty of people inquiring about Northern Lights and the excitement it is building. For more information, please go to the website at www.northernlightsmontreal.com This website in underconstruction, but check out the promotional video from the 2008 Northern Lights Show!

The 2009 Nunavut Youth Conference - Focus on Careers and Entrepreneurship was held on May 19-21, 2009. The Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce (BRCC), along with funding partners, Kivalliq Partners in Development, Kitikmeot Economic Development Commission and Kakivak Association, hosted 31 students and 5 chaperones from over 16 communities across Nunavut.

Throughout the three days, the youth attended sessions which centered on the conference's theme. Keynote speakers included the Honourable Eva Aariak, the Honourable Tagak Curley, and MLA for Quttiktuq, Ron Elliott who focused on the importance of Inuit youth taking an assertive role in their futures, as well as fully understanding their pasts.

"We also wanted to offer the youth an opportunity to network with peers, young entrepreneurs, as well as local businesses that would allow them, the youth, to see what opportunities lie ahead for them in the future" explained Josh Qaumariaq, the BRCC's Youth Program Manager.

The participants had the opportunity to hear from various entrepreneurs who have either started their business here in Nunavut or have relocated to the territory to take advantage of a business opportunity. The entrepreneurs explained to the youth how they got to where they are today and the challenges they had to overcome in order to be successful.

During a career panel, youth met with representatives from RCMP Recruitment, Nunavut Film, Nunavut Tourism, Baffinland, NPC, Department of Health and Social Services, as well as GN. The panel addressed the opportunities available in their regions. Through these presentations they had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their options as well as reevaluate their own goals and ambitions.

Another session included representatives from Kakivak and FANS where participants were given information on opportunities for post secondary and new business financial assistance. They also had an opportunity to work on their resume and interview skills.

From this conference, 31 youth walked away with a new sense of confidence and entrepreneurial skills to bring back to their respective communities to share with their peers. Early evaluation shows that there was a high level of satisfaction from their experiences. 

It is our goal to have an even more successful youth conference next year with a larger delegation from across the territory. We will also be aiming to run the conference simultaneously with the Nunavut Trade Show and Conference, also hosted by BRCC.

Another successful CED Week has passed in the Hamlet of Cape Dorset. This was the second time the CED Week event, coordinated by the BRCC, was held in this community. Cape Dorset is a very warm and inviting community and, as always, a joy to visit.

Over 30 organizations participated in the event indicating just how important these events are for the communities and the participants. Once again there was a great turn out with over 300 people from the community coming to Peter Pitsiulak School for the afternoon trade show sponsored in part by Northwestel. In the evening, the community hall filled up quickly for the community feast which was sponsored in part by First Air and the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium. The evening included lots of food, lots of give-aways and lots of fun!

Our thanks to Qiatsuk Qiatsuk and the Hamlet of Cape Dorset, Ed Sheppard and the Peter Pitsiulak School, Mayor Cary Merrit and the citizens of the community, and the 30+ organizations that participated. All the help and support that we receive helps to make these events possible. 

Also a big thank you to our partners: the Government of Nunavut, Kakivak and Skills Canada, as well as our sponsors: First Air, Northwestel and the Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium.

Our next CED Week events are scheduled for Igloolik and Hall Beach on March 20 and 27. For more information, or to register for these events, please call the BRCC's Event Manager, Jessica Dewar, at 867-979-4654 or send an email to events@baffinchamber.ca.