Businesses deserve praise for charitable work

I attended the town hall meeting on social issues last month in Iqaluit because I was wondering how my impressions compared to others involved in the community.

As a businessman who is deeply embedded in charities in Iqaluit I get a first-hand look at the individuals and groups who seem to slip through the cracks of society, but I also see those who come to their rescue, a point that was not fully acknowledged at the meeting.

In Nunavut, we have many corporations in the North who step up to meet the need when there seems to be no hope.

An example is First Air who recently raised $60,000 and split this money between the women’s shelter and The Nunavut Literacy Council, both of which lost funding for this year.

First Air, Northmart, Northwestel, Nunastar, Arctic Ventures, the RCMP and Bob Hanson’s companies represent only a few of the corporations from the North who have given enormous amounts of money in donations and employee time to charities in Iqaluit.

My point is this: although most people feel that addressing social issues is the responsibility of the government groups that are here in the North, let’s not forget the corporations in the North and their employees who come to the rescue through donations, volunteering or directing charitable organizations.

At one point in the recent Social Issues forum, a reference was made to “outsiders” who are running charities in Iqaluit. Volunteering and giving are both done with compassion and a heart felt feeling of giving back to neighbours who need help.

The businesses of the North respect the people of Nunavut as clients, but more than that, we are your neighbours who will continue to be there when the need arises.

Ken Spencer
President, Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce
President, Niqinik Nuatsivik-Nunavut Food Bank
Vice Chair, Habitat for Humanity, Iqaluit