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?

Yellowknife cannot wait for the next major project to reach construction before preparing for this economic transition. We need to act now to retain workers, support local businesses and make Yellowknife a competitive place to invest. The City cannot control global commodity prices or approve mines, but it can control how easy or difficult it is to invest and do business here.

I want to see predictable permitting timelines, fewer unnecessary delays, land made available for development, and clear municipal processes so businesses and developers know what is expected of them. We also need to protect and grow our existing economic base. That means advocating for responsible mineral exploration and development while expanding other sectors such as tourism, construction, remediation, transportation and logistics, professional services, technology and local entrepreneurship. Giant Mine remediation and future mine reclamation also create opportunities to build northern expertise that can be exported elsewhere.

Yellowknife should work closely with Indigenous governments, the GNWT, federal government and the business community to ensure northern and Indigenous businesses and workers benefit from major projects and procurement opportunities. Affordability is economic development too. High housing, taxation, energy and operating costs make it harder to recruit workers, retain families and operate a business.

Finally, we need to actively market Yellowknife for investment rather than simply wait for investment to arrive. That includes identifying available land, upcoming procurement and development opportunities, promoting our skilled workforce and northern expertise, and measuring whether our economic-development efforts are actually producing investment, jobs and growth.

Our goal should be a more diverse economy where Yellowknife remains the service, business and transportation hub of the NWT, but is less vulnerable to the closure of any single mine or industry.

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?

Businesses should not have to accept theft, vandalism and escalating security costs as simply the price of operating in Yellowknife. The City needs to use the resources within its authority more strategically. I support increased Municipal Enforcement patrols, including foot patrols, in identified problem areas and during the times when incidents are occurring most often.

I also want better coordination between Municipal Enforcement, the RCMP, Street Outreach and businesses, with clear information about who businesses should call for different situations. We should use incident and complaint data to identify recurring locations and times, deploy resources accordingly, and publicly report whether those efforts are reducing problems. I would also explore strategically placed City security cameras at key intersections and identified high-incident locations. Cameras could help document incidents, identify patterns and provide useful evidence when crimes occur. Any program would need clear policies governing privacy, where cameras are appropriate, how long recordings are retained and who can access them.

The City can also look at practical ways to help businesses make their properties more secure. This could include incentives or partnerships for exterior shutters over vulnerable glass. Those shutters could be designed or painted by northern artists, turning a security measure into public art while supporting local artists. Where recessed entrances or alcoves repeatedly create security problems, businesses could be supported in installing secondary gates to secure those spaces after hours. Door and window sensors could also alert a business owner or security provider when an entrance is opened after hours.

Physical security, however, is only part of the solution. We also need to address homelessness, addictions and mental-health challenges through appropriate outreach, housing, treatment and other supports, working with the GNWT, Indigenous governments and community organizations. Compassion and accountability can exist together. People experiencing homelessness, addiction or mental illness deserve dignity and appropriate support, while employees, customers and business owners also deserve to feel safe in their workplaces and community.

I want us to measure results: fewer repeat incidents, less property damage, improved response times and businesses spending less of their own money simply trying to keep their employees and property safe.

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?

Yellowknife needs development. We need more housing, more commercial and industrial development, and a larger tax base so the burden of funding City services does not continue falling on the same taxpayers.

My approach would be to welcome development that meets Yellowknife’s needs, makes practical use of existing infrastructure and does not create unreasonable long-term costs for taxpayers.

One of the biggest things the City can provide is certainty. Developers need to know what the rules are, what information is required, what land and incentives are available, how long approvals should take and who they can speak with when problems arise. I support reviewing our permitting and development processes, identifying unnecessary delays and establishing measurable service standards for approvals. But I don’t think Yellowknife should simply wait for developers to come to us. We should actively promote Yellowknife as a place to invest and build. The City could develop professional investment packages that identify available land, infrastructure, housing demand, development incentives, approval processes and economic opportunities so potential investors have the information they need in one place.

I would also support having City representatives attend appropriate housing, construction and development conferences to meet directly with developers, builders and investors and promote opportunities in Yellowknife. When there is serious interest, the City should have a clear point of contact who can help potential investors navigate municipal processes.

We also need different types of housing. That includes bachelor and one-bedroom units, missing-middle housing, secondary suites, family-sized units, accessible housing and intergenerational housing. We should make better use of vacant and underused properties and encourage development where roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure already exist. Where the City offers development incentives, we should measure whether they are actually resulting in projects being built and housing being created. If an incentive is not producing results, we should be prepared to change it.

Growth does involve trade-offs. Residents have legitimate concerns about traffic, infrastructure, neighbourhood character, the environment and the cost of servicing new development. Those concerns deserve meaningful consideration, but consultation should help us make good decisions rather than result in every project becoming impossible to build. I also want lifecycle costs considered before approving major new development. It is not enough to look at what something costs to build today; Council needs to understand what roads, water and sewer, snow removal, transit and other services will cost taxpayers over the long term. Good development should strengthen our community and our tax base.

I want Yellowknife to move from simply being open for development to actively seeking responsible investment: promoting our opportunities, making the process easier to navigate and then measuring whether those efforts are actually producing new housing, businesses, investment and assessment growth.

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?

If major projects are coming, we should be preparing Yellowknifers and local businesses before construction begins, not scrambling to find workers and contractors once projects are underway.

The first step is understanding what will actually be needed. The City should work with the GNWT, Indigenous governments, Aurora College, industry, unions, contractors and the Chamber of Commerce to identify anticipated occupations, trades, certifications and business opportunities several years in advance. The City is not the primary provider of employment training, but it can help bring the right partners together and advocate for training that matches real jobs.

The new NWT Workforce Ready Program is one example. It allows municipal and Indigenous governments to apply for funding for locally driven skills development connected to anticipated employment opportunities. Yellowknife should be actively pursuing opportunities like this. We should also create pathways for young people. That means exposing students to trades, construction, engineering, environmental remediation, transportation, logistics and other northern careers, and supporting apprenticeships, mentorships, summer employment and work placements that connect training with actual employers. Preparing businesses is equally important. Small and medium-sized northern businesses need advance notice of upcoming procurement opportunities so they have time to obtain certifications, hire and train employees, purchase equipment, form partnerships and prepare competitive bids.

The City should publish its own annual and multi-year procurement plans and advocate for similar transparency around major projects. We should also work with Indigenous governments and businesses to increase Indigenous employment, training, partnerships and procurement opportunities. Housing and affordability are workforce issues as well. If people cannot find somewhere affordable to live, we will struggle to attract workers and, just as importantly, retain the workers and families already here. The NWT’s 2026–27 Economic Outlook specifically identifies inadequate housing as a contributor to labour shortages and a barrier to attracting and retaining workers. (Finance NWT)

My goal would be to keep as much of the economic benefit of these projects in the North as possible. That means more Yellowknifers gaining skills and careers, more northern and Indigenous businesses winning contracts, and more of the wages and business spending circulating within our community rather than leaving the territory.