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Business Briefs

Guy Quenneville
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
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Diamond exchange

MLA Dave Ramsay has suggested the GNWT consider instituting a diamond exchange in Yellowknife to keep pace with the mining industries of other provinces like Saskatchewan and Ontario.

"Let's take the 10 per cent of the rough, keep them locked up here in Yellowknife or in another community, and we could disperse them to the world," Ramsay said last week in the legislative assembly.

"If we don't get off of our backsides, Toronto is going to be the place that has a diamond exchange in this country ... I think it would be a shame."

BIP won't RIP

The NWT legislative assembly voted 11 to 0 last week to stop the territorial government from scrapping the much-debated Business Incentive Policy (BIP), which pads Northern bids on contracts to give local businesses an edge over southern competitors.

"I've been contacted by a number of people in the business community about the BIP, and not one single person has said drop the BIP," said MLA Robert Hawkins.

MLA Bob Bromley conceded the policy is in need of a review, but also said, "To do it in right now, just because we happen to have a roaring economy, is not good business."

Business awards

The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting is set to happen Friday at the Explorer Hotel at noon.

That night, the chamber will host the President's Ball, which will be host to the annual awards ceremony honoring one Yellowknife business and one Yellowknife business owner. It's also at the Explorer Hotel. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7:15 p.m. and a swearing in ceremony and awards starting at 8:15 p.m.

"I don't know exactly nominations there are now, but there were a few last week," said Chamber president Jim Eirikson.

New flights to Whati

Yellowknife air charter company Air Tindi, which is celebrating 20 years of operations, began offering additional flights to Whati from Yellowknife this week.

The airline will now fly to the community on Sundays and Fridays, leaving Yellowknife both days at 4 p.m. and departing Whati at 4:55 p.m.

In addition, the departure times for Monday and Tuesday Whati flights have been changed to 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Previously, there was only one flight a day Monday and Tuesday departing at 1:30 p.m.