Insurance Brokers to open office

Nunavut Insurance Brokers will open an office in Yellowknife this fall to increase its share of this territory's market, said Colin Matychuk, the company's commercial account executive.

The company offers auto, property, commercial, travel and life insurance to both Nunavut and the NWT from its offices in Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit as well as its corporate head office in Winnipeg.

Ten to 15 per cent of the company's revenue stems from the NWT, said Matychuk, adding he expects to grow to that number to 50 per cent with the addition of the new office.

"The plan is to be small off the start, see if (it does well) the first couple of years. We don't want to incur big expenses if the revenue is not there," he said.

The company is recruiting staff - one or two people - and looking for office space. One option includes operating out of the Nunasi building, a good fit considering the Nunasi Corporation owns the insurance company.

"We think it's a good business case to have a spot there," said Matychuk.

New management company for hotel and mall

Yellowknife's downtown hotel is under new management.

Crescent Hotels and Resorts started managing the Yellowknife Inn and the upper portion of Centre Square Mall June 1, taking over from owner Royal Host Hotels and Resorts.

Crescent is a nine-year-old American-based company that owns or operates 55 hotels and resorts, translating into about 12,000 rooms in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, according to the company's website.

The change is administrative, said the hotel's general manager, Derek Carmody.

Thanks to the change "We ... now have more resources to help us manage the day to day operations," he said.

Medic North founder named among Top 40 under 40

Sean Ivens, the president and CEO of Medic North Emergency Services Ltd., was recently named one of the top 40 young leaders in Canada.

Ivens was one of several Canadians honoured with a Top 40 under 40 award from the Caldwell Partners International earlier this month.

The annual award recognizes the achievements of 40 Canadians younger than 40 working in the private, public and non-profit sectors.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur started the Yellowknife-based company, which offerings medical support services to remote locations, in 1995.