Question 1 - Yellowknife is entering a significant economic transition as the NWT's diamond mining industry changes, with two mines now moving through closure while many of the major projects expected to create new economic opportunities are still several years from full construction. What should Yellowknife be doing now to navigate this transition and position the community for long-term economic success?

The mine closures are a serious economic challenge, but I don’t think Yellowknife should respond by trying to manage decline. We have a significant amount of capital already sitting here that wants to invest and build. We don’t need to wait for the next major project to bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the city. We can generate that investment right now if we provide land, get out of the way and support people who actually want to build homes and businesses.

Range Street is a great example. There has been well over $100 million in investment there in the last few years, and much of that was locally sourced capital. That investment happened because people here were willing to take a risk and build. I don’t think we’ve fully appreciated how much economic development is already being driven by local businesses and investors.

Our job at the City is to make more of that possible. More serviced land, faster approvals, less red tape and a welcoming environment for investment. We need to use the land we already have through infill and redevelopment while also getting new areas ready for growth. The major projects coming to the North are important, but we shouldn’t sit around waiting for them. We have the people, capital and entrepreneurs to create hundreds of millions in investment right now.

Question 2 - Crime and public safety concerns are also creating direct costs for Yellowknife businesses through theft, property damage and increased spending on security and other measures to protect their employees and property. As a member of City Council, how would you address the impact these issues are having on the business community?

We’ve already added two MED officers focused on providing more presence downtown, and the RCMP’s increased foot and bike patrols this summer have made a difference. But ultimately, we need to have a more honest discussion about how we address the behavior that is making people feel unsafe downtown.

We can acknowledge addiction, homelessness and trauma while also saying that rampant public drug use, open liquor, violence and assaultive behavior are not acceptable. We cannot allow a small number of people engaging in these behaviors to make an entire city feel unsafe using our downtown. We need more enforcement of the laws and bylaws we already have.

When we consistently choose not to enforce them, we are effectively giving social license to unsafe conditions. This isn’t about criminalizing people who are struggling. It’s about making sure businesses, their employees and everyone else who uses downtown can feel safe. We need both the social supports to address the underlying problems and the enforcement necessary to maintain a safe public environment.

Question 3 - Yellowknife needs more development to support housing, economic growth and the long-term needs of the community, but development can involve difficult trade-offs and face barriers that prevent projects from moving forward. As a member of City Council, how would you approach growth and development in Yellowknife?

To me, this is pretty straightforward. No matter where we try to grow Yellowknife, there will be people saying, “I support this, but not here.” We’ve somehow created this idea that Yellowknife is locked in amber and shouldn’t change. That’s not reality.

National defense and the major projects coming to the North are going to drive enormous growth, and we are already way behind on housing. We could build out every vacant lot downtown, all the infill in the Community Plan and all of Frame Lake, and it still wouldn’t be enough. We need everything, all at once. That means Council has to focus on what is good for the community as a whole. Yes, construction is disruptive and having more people living beside you changes things.I understand that but the goal is to house more people and build a stronger city and that will require significant change. If the answer to every development proposal is “not here,” we are never going to solve the problem.

Question 4 - The major projects expected in the North will require a larger and more diverse workforce in the years ahead. How should Yellowknife prepare its residents and businesses to participate in and benefit from those opportunities?

The City doesn’t need to create the investment. It needs to stop getting in its way. We can get more serviced land to market, speed up approvals, cut unnecessary red tape and make it easier to build housing and businesses. There is already a lot of local capital and business capacity here that wants to invest. Our job is to make that investment easier, not harder.