40 Years of Business Advocacy: 1973-2013
BOARD MEETING – 02
Board of Directors’ Minutes
Friday, May 16, 2014 – Chamber Board Room, Yellowknife
In Attendance
Allen Stanzell, President
Mike Olson, 2nd VP
Jason McEvoy, Yellowknife
Janet-Marie Fizer, Hay River
Ayanna Ferdinand Catlyn, 1st VP
Kathy Gray, Past President
Bright Lubansa, Inuvik
Ann Marie Tout, CCC Rep
Marc Parker, Sec / Treasurer
Janie Hobart, Thebacha
Pam Coulter, DAL
Mike Bradshaw, ED
Regrets
Bill Kellett, DAL
Dee Opperman, DAL
Chris Buist, Norman Wells
Absent
Haslan Escalante, DAL
Angela Fiebelkorn, Fort Simpson
Matt Mossman, DAL
1. Call to order – President Stanzell @ 8:37 AM.
2. Approval of Agenda
 Motion 2014-0201: To approve the agenda. Director Hobart; 1st VP Olson. Motion carried.
 Motion 2014-0202: To amend the agenda. Director Hobart; 1st VP Olson. Motion carried.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce Delegation
The meeting was joined by two CCC representatives: Kimberley Gale, Managing Director, Corporate
Relations, Northern and Western Canada; and Susanna Cluff-Clyburne, Director, Parliamentary Affairs.
The CCC shared a number of strategic observations:
 Need to continue to shine a spotlight on the NWT and its potential;
 Continue to move the economic agenda forward for the North, through the CCC and the
Territorial Policy Committee;
 As long as Canada has this Prime Minister the North will be a priority;
 CCC continues to work through the Top 10 Barriers to Competitiveness (including the unique
competitive impediments for the North).
Susanna has been seconded to the Entrepreneurship Project, a new initiative of the CCC. She is
undertaking research on new, fast-growing firms, which are often bought-out by larger players OR fail.
The question is: what differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful and whether or not there is a
gap that the CCC can bridge? Susanna is holding accelerated roundtables around the country and
offered to hold one via teleconference if the NWTCC was interested. Past President Gray will take the
lead and get back to the CCC and the Board. Susanna will be tabling her report at the AGM in PEI.
3. Approval of April 25, 2014 Minutes
 Motion 2014-0203: To approve the minutes as presented. Director Coulter; 1st VP Catlyn.
Motion carried.
Standing Business
4. President’s Report
President Stanzell reported on a meeting with Kelly Kaylo, ADM, ITI in Fort Smith requesting an incamera meeting with the Minister. He also touched on the letter of support for Husky’s application,
our representation before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy in the North, the City of
Yellowknife’s proposed 2015 Budget and our meeting with City staff, and the CCC’s new Partnership
for Resource Trade led by former Cabinet Minister, David Emerson, and CCC President, Perrin
Beatty.
5. Treasurer’s Report
NWTCC’s net income January 01 to April 30, 2014 was $4,424.10, a small increase over the same
period last year. Net income should increase in May once all revenue from the Business Conference
is captured. The GIC Re-investment Strategy should be implemented by the end of May. 58 of 103
members have renewed as of April 30. It was recommended that STATEMENTS be issued
to all members with outstanding invoices. Following the response from STATEMENTS, the
Executive Committee review the list and make direct calls regarding outstanding renewals.
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Motion 2014-0204: To approve the Treasurer’s report as presented.
VP Olson. Motion carried.
Past President Gray; 2nd
6. Executive Director’s Report
The ED reported on Corporate Registries filings, the GIC Re-Investment Strategy, the transition of
Signing Authorities, media activity and other matters to be reported later in the agenda, such as the
2015 City of Yellowknife Proposed Budget.
 Motion 2014-0205: To approve the ED’s report as presented. Sec / Treasurer Parker; Past
President Gray. Motion carried.
7. Member Chamber Reports
Inuvik Chamber of Commerce
 Breakfast with Premier McLeod on May 09 attracted approximately 50 people. (News North
article attached.)
 Working on a newsletter to improve communications.
 Working with the town on a bid for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games.
 Spin-off benefits from the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway are beginning to filter into the regional
economy.
Norman Wells and District Chamber of Commerce
 Husky’s application for four new wells and letters of support have been submitted to the Sahtu
Land & Water Board. Decision expected in May.
 ConocoPhillips application has been sent back to the company for additional information.
 The business community is cautious and waiting for a decision on the Husky
application. [Conoco has already announced it will not be drilling next season]
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The town is gearing up for fuel conversion in the fall.
The new Northern Store will officially open on June 23.
Ann Marie Tout will be sworn in as town councillor on Tuesday, May 20.
Hay River Chamber of Commerce
 Tru Valu will likely close its retail outlet this summer. This will add 10,000 square feet of vacant
retail space in the downtown.
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Still working with mines to prevent out-migration of people to other communities or outside the
NWT.
Chamber is assembling a cost of living working group.
Meeting with regional MLA’s on May 16 to discuss the need for decentralizing government
departments in support of the regional economy.
Working with the town and the Thebacha Chamber on a joint bid for the 2018 Arctic Winter
Games.
Thebacha Chamber of Commerce
 Currently developing a comprehensive business and residential directory for the region.
 Planning a joint meeting with the Hay River Chamber to discuss South Slave business matters of
mutual interest. Northwest Air Lease has agreed to provide air travel for the two chambers.
 The annual trade show was held on May 03; attracted 700 participants. The Thebacha Chamber
was a bronze sponsor, had a booth, and may have attracted as many as 10 new members.
 Fort Smith 5000 is scheduled for May 24.
 Thebacha is planning three shop local campaigns in 2014, beginning with a spring clean-up.
 Town Council has unanimously approved a $6.2 million renovation of Centennial Arena.
Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce
 Spring Tradeshow attracted 160 vendors and 7,000 attendees. 30 booths have already been
sold for the 2015 event.
 The YK Chamber Golf Tournament is scheduled for July 25.
 Business Awards could be expanded to as many as 10 this year. The event is tentatively
planned for October 25.
 Letter of support for Husky’s application was submitted to the SLWB.
 The Board has agreed that the YK Chamber should take a position on the City’s proposed 2015
budget.
 Business Club Lunch featuring Minister David Ramsay will be held on May 21.
 Planning two Shop Local Campaigns in 2014 in partnership with the City of Yellowknife.
Fort Simpson Chamber
 The Chamber’s AGM is scheduled for the 2nd Saturday in June.
 DOT announced capital funding for Highways 1 & 7. Resurfacing and road work should take
place this summer. The Fort Simpson Chamber has been a strong advocate for highway
improvements for the past several years.
 The ferry is in-service.
8. 2014/15 Strategic Focus
President Stanzell led a discussion on the Chamber’s Strategic Focus for the year. Broadly speaking
the NWTCC will weigh in on all things related to the economy, particularly cost issues for business.
An example is the City of Yellowknife proposed property tax increase of 4.68% for 2015.
Property taxes are an issue in all tax-based communities. Director Fizer cited a flawed process in
Hay River and described a lack of transparency that is in violation of the ACT. ED Bradshaw
committed to forwarding pertinent information from the ACT. Director Hobart also requested the
information.
9. Committees of the Board
Strategic Plan Task Force Reports
As determined at the previous Board meeting, only one report will be brought forward at each
meeting.
1. Membership Development – President Gray
 Working on a plan for next meeting.
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New Business
10. Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
On May 10, Past President Gray and ED Bradshaw met with a delegation of the Senate
Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee on May
10th. Discussion was centered on electrical infrastructure and costs, market opportunities
and issues, capital incapacitation and the cost of living/business in the NWT. A letter
summarizing our information was sent to Senator Neufeld, Chair of the Committee, and has
been forwarded to the Board.
Information Items
11. Husky Oil Operations Ltd. - Slater River Exploratory Horizontal Program Application
The NWTCC submitted a letter of support to the Sahtu Land and Water Board regarding Husky Oil’s
application for four new wells.
12. May 20 – Perrin Beatty & David Emerson - Partnership for Resource Trade
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is a member of the newly-established “Partnership for
Resource Trade”; an initiative that seeks to set the record straight about the importance and
impact of Canada’s resource industries. Former federal Cabinet Minister, David Emerson, is
the Chair of the Partnership. Senior staff from all jurisdictional chambers across Canada will
participate in this initial conference call with Perrin Beatty and David Emerson.
13. Executive Committee Minutes.
Other Business
14. Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Labour Minister Jason Kenney met with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and advised that changes
are coming to the TFWP in early June. Minister Kenney said he wants to end the use of the program to
suppress wages. While he talked about abuses and the need for compliance, he did not focus on
increased enforcement or better scrutiny of employers’ applications as the solution. Instead, he
canvassed reaction to three main policy options, which could be applied in the low-skilled categories or
across all categories of the LMO-based program:
 Introducing a hard wage floor (e.g. not admitting people in below the median national wage rate,
similar to the approach in the U.K. and Australia);
 Requiring a premium of X per cent be paid above the prevailing wage rate (likely based on NOC);
 Denying entry of low-skilled TFWs in areas of high unemployment, but possibly with some sectoral
exemptions (which were not specified).
The Minister also indicated that employers must increase efforts to recruit Canadians, including underrepresented groups such as persons with disabilities, Aboriginal Canadians, etc.
15. CIC re-Investment Strategy
Motion to appoint Sec / Treasurer Parker and ED Bradshaw as authorized signatories on the new
investments.
 Motion 2014-0206: To approve the motion. Director McEvoy; 1st VP Catlyn. Motion carried.
Adjournment
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Motion to adjourn 2014-0106: Director Coulter @ 10:00 AM.
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