As another year ends, we at the NWT Chamber of Commerce must say SA国际影视传媒渢hank youSA国际影视传媒� to our members and all 33 communities of the NWT. 

The end of a year is often a time of reflection. As we reflect on our year, the one constant that stands out is the resilience of our communities. Through the years, we have prevailed through the pandemic, wildfire evacuations and crises caused by low water in the Mackenzie River. We are very aware there are many who are still struggling with the lasting impacts of those difficult times. 

Collectively, we approach 2025 with great hopes and dreams.  

For us at the NWT Chamber of Commerce we continue to wish all our members well and that your businesses thrive in 2025 and beyond. 

Here is our Christmas wish list: 

1. Canada Post Strike. The NWT Chamber of Commerce worked with a dynamic team across Canada in efforts to end the strike action that impacted Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We were signatories to many letters to various parties involved in the struggle, which recently ended. This strike once again highlighted the vulnerability of small businesses in the North. So, we are not just working to end this strike but to also reduce the likelihood of another. There are just too many things that keep coming at us, especially in the North. 

2. Canada responds to U.S. tariff threats. Depending on how we respond to this threat, it could mean higher prices for Canadians on many items, including food. The North cannot handle this at this time, so we must stay vigilant, stay engaged and encourage our representatives to help where they can, to shape a practical response to these threats.  

3. Amending GNWT bureaucracy to speed up investments. Members are still concerned about how we need to impress upon the territorial government to act quickly in the best interest of our economy. As residents, we vote for MLAs and expect to be able to influence change through them, but often it seems our most important decisions are being made by career bureaucrats who, despite their best intentions, do not hear from the public in the same way our elected officials do. The NWT Chamber of Commerce has a great history of working with both, and we want to continue to do this for you.  

4. Mining. The minerals industry and broader natural resource extraction has always been a key driver and sustainer of economics and development in the North. As the North is experiencing the onset of mine closures, limited prospecting and exploration, the call towards community and sector chambers to engage pro-actively becomes an important focus for the NWT Chamber of Commerce. 
  
We intend to lend our voice to the call for a present and future that continues to support the development of responsible and sustainable natural resource extraction and development. 
 
5. Considering recent inflation trends SA国际影视传媒� how will we maintain and grow our population? With the Diavik diamond mine closing next year, we anticipate some folks will be planning to leave the territory. We must quickly find innovative ways to keep as many as possible here. We must grow our economy to create employment for them and we must contain heating and transportation costs, among others, to contain inflation.  

6. A concerted effort towards a housing solution. Much has been said on this topic in recent years. We acknowledge and support the call for the settlement of land claims to make more lands available for housing development. We applaud the move to adjust policies to allow for multiple units on one lot. We would like to ensure, however, that our housing plans throughout the territory include all of our people. We must not forget the vulnerable among us who may need transition housing, etc.   

7. If our financial situation will not allow us to pursue the upgrade of Aurora College, then we will have to find other avenues to prepare Northern residents to satisfy the labour needs of the North. Many of us still remember when our business had to reduce operating hours because of chronic labour shortage. Communities continue to struggle with this.

With the coming changes to immigration, we are anticipating there will be a short supply of labour soon. Post-secondary education is not a luxury SA国际影视传媒� it is crucial to our survival. It is how we will be able to prepare Northerners to meet the needs of the North. We must find a way to provide a robust post-secondary experience for the North, by the North. 

8. It is time we deliver reliable and competitively-priced energy throughout our 33 communities. As we look to invite entrepreneurs to invest in our economy in 2025 and beyond, it is imperative that we address energy costs in each of our communities. 

9. Communication is vital to our survival. Reliable access to the internet must be prioritized. It is our dream that one day we will have stable internet service across the NWT, with redundancies. 

10. The NWT Chamber of Commerce will continue to find innovative ways of listening to all our communities large and small. This is our commitment to you. 
 
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you, your staff and your families and a very prosperous 2025 from the NWT Chamber of Commerce.