Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce urges residents to shop local

Shopping outside the territory is hurtingYukon's economy, says the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber says half of every dollar spent at a local businessstays in the local economy.

"No small business,no medium-sized business in the community [means]no community," said chamber member Mike Pemberton, who owns a furniture store in downtown Whitehorse.

Butit's not only retail sales the chamber is concerned about. Pemberton said government contracts are being lost to outside businesses.

"More contracts seem to be going outside the community that could have been done here by local businesses," he said.

Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Ruth Massie agrees. In a speech to a business conference last week, Massie said more procurement contracts need to stay inYukon.

"[Local businesses] do have the workmanship and tradesmanship," she said."They are all more than qualified to do the job."