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Corporate / Executive Profiles / Johnny Peters

Vice-President, Renewable Resources

Johnny Peters was elected Vice-President, Resource Development of Makivik Corporation in March 1996, and again in March 1999. He again was elected by acclamation in 2002. He first served in this position during Makivik's formative years from 1980-1987. Before being re-elected as Makivik Vice-President, Renewable Resource Development, Mr. Peters was an Offshore Claims Negotiator, a position he retains in addition to his executive mandate. He has achieved the conclusion of the negotiations in which the agreement is currently undergoing a ratification process.

As Vice-President, Renewable Resources, Mr. Peters oversees activities related to the Renewable Resources Department, which can be characterized as mainly pertaining to wildlife issues. These involve both research directly, as Makivik maintains a research center in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, and being active dealing with provincial, federal and international regulatory bodies concerning wildlife management and policy development.

In addition to the position of Vice-President, Renewable Resource Development, Mr. Peters is also on the Board of Directors of the following Makivik Subsidiaries: Air Inuit, Halutik Enterprises, and Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc.

Mr. Peters was born in Kangirsuk August 9, 1939. His boyhood was spent learning the traditional skills of a hunter and fisherman. His first foray into formal education occurred later in life when he spent a year at Akijo High School in Yellowknife in 1961. His working experience includes a year spent as a heavy machine operator in Cape Dyer in 1962. When the Quebec Government arrived in Kuujjuaq the following year, he worked for them for two years. In 1965 he worked as a foreman at the asbestos mine in Deception Bay. He continued in the mining industry later in 1968 at the Sarah Gordon mine in Lynn Lake, Manitoba as a "muck machine operator". Following a year spent at the DIAND powerhouse in Kuujjuaq in 1970, Mr. Peters began his involvement in Inuit political organizations. First, in 1971 as a Co-op Member and later Manager, then as a member of the Board for the newly created Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. In 1972 he became a member of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association, and was hired as a Field Worker, communicating the activities of the NQIA leaders to the smaller communities.

Mr. Peters has considerable experience as an entrepreneur, having started his own taxi business (now sold), and a country food store in Kuujjuaq, Inuksiutiit, which began operations in the late 1980s.

He is married to Elizabeth Peters, who he met and married in Kuujjuaq in 1962. He has five children - two boys and three girls (one adopted) - as well as ten grandchildren. Mr. Peters has an excellent photography collection, notably of the early NQIA days. His pastime activities still include plenty of hunting and fishing.