1. What in your experience and background makes you the right person to shepherd the Northwest Territories’ economic development through the next four years?

I've lived in Yellowknife for 17 years, the last four of which I served as the Member for Great Slave. During that time, my knowledge of the territory has grown exponentially. I’ve learned how to be an effective MLA that pushes for change and is known to advocate for and listen to everyone, regardless of where they live. My professional background prior to politics is as a Consulting Engineer working in environmental, earthworks, and ice engineering. I also spent just under a year on Cabinet as the Minister of Infrastructure, ITI, and Responsible for WSCC, and was a strong advocate for the resource extraction sector and the business community during the COVID pandemic and beyond, during which I worked non-stop to secure borders, the supply chain, and other items needed in the COVID response.

I want to continue to be a strong voice for business, industry, my constituents, and residents across the territory. I bring experience and knowledge to the table as, an MLA, a volunteer, and a Professional Engineer who has spent time living overseas as well as traveling and working in some of the smallest communities in the north. This gives me a unique perspective and experience rarely seen in politics, as well as the work ethic, critical thinking skills, and drive to see our territory into prosperity. I want to make the NWT better for everyone living here and I know I have the determination to get it done!

 

2. As an MLA what action will you take to increase land availability within the City of Yellowknife?

To free up more land in the city we need to look at some of the contaminated and/or unused lots in our downtown core for development. A fee or some sort of action should be taken to press landowners to clean up sites such as the Esso site by the Courthouse, as well vacant buildings need to be taxed so landlords are incentivized to fill them. We need to infill and densify areas of the downtown. We should provide financial incentives to those who can build secondary rental dwellings as well. We should also be considering remediation of the Con mine land to residential standards such as housing could be built there.

As an MLA will you commit to the expedited transfer of all lands in the municipal boundary, under the administration and control of the Commissioner of the NWT, to the City of Yellowknife?

Yes, I commit to helping to expedite the transfer of land however I can to the City of Yellowknife.

 

3. As an MLA or member of Cabinet how do you plan to address and facilitate economic immigration to our region to promote economic growth and job opportunities?

First, we need to bring our own immigration services under one department so that there is actual accountability and responsibility for it. We need to look at the approval/application process as we cannot have companies wasting time proving that they can’t find someone in the NWT to do the work when we already know we’re severely lacking skilled labour and professionals (eg airplane mechanics). We need to do a jurisdictional scan to see how the rest of Canada is doing it and incorporate those ideas into our own strategy. I’m aware from my time as MLA that they Yukon’s system is much quicker than ours and there is no reason we could not emulate that.

We need to lobby the Federal Government for a complete overhaul of the immigration portfolio and to work at the huge backlog of files that have been piling up since the pandemic. Many people have been waiting years to hear back on their applications, this is not acceptable. They’re living in limbo and unable to move on with their lives or towards bringing loved ones and family to Canada to be with them.

We also need to look at how we’re evaluating foreign credentials so that we can tap into larger employment pools for the professions we’re missing, particularly in the healthcare field. Recently NAPEG made changes to the act to facilitate foreign trained engineers. This should be considered for all professions that are currently understaffed in the north.

How will you support the integration of newcomers into our unique northern communities?

We need to offer language services and testing in the north, such that people do not have to travel to AB to take their tests. We should be increasing funding to literacy programs, not only for our own people but for new immigrants. We could create programs that pair newcomers to Canada with a local family to help them to understand and integrate into their new home and so that they feel welcome and less lonely. Somewhat like the indigenous languages partnerships we could have this for new immigrants as well.

 

4. As an MLA what specific steps will you take to support and strengthen the local/northern construction Industry?

We must complete the procurement review and revamp the entire northern business incentive policy so that southern companies, with no true investment in the North, are no longer able to game the system to win contracts. We must create an Indigenous Procurement Policy to ensure we are creating and building capacity amongst Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses. We need to restructure the BDIC to ensure even more people have access to loans and services. And we need to revamp the SEED program and other funding sources for businesses such that the application and reporting are not onerous.

We need to lobby for a North of 60 Mining tax credit from Canada and project startup funding to go with it as part of Canada’s Critical Mineral Strategy. We need to finish moving to online map staking and increase the Mining Incentive Program. We need to tackle our infrastructure deficit and construct all weather roads including the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Slave Geological Province road. We need to connect all our communities with year-round access where possible to ease supply chain issues for industry while creating more jobs in small communities. We need cheap, renewable power and every community should be looking at what best suits their needs, and how do they potentially sell additional power to mines and industry in the future.

We must bolster our manufacturing sector and trades such that we can keep people employed here in the north in higher paying jobs while building our own houses and buildings, cutting down the cost of bringing in labour and prefabs from the south. We need to fix our Jk-12 education systems so we have a more employable northern workforce for employers to hire.

 

5. As an MLA how will you look to leverage remediation projects so that associated jobs, work, contracts, innovation stay in, and benefit, the NWT?

The Departments of ECE and ITI should work with the Mine Training Society and Aurora College to develop a workforce plan that includes the analysis of employment trends in the NWT. This plan would incorporate the proper training and educational programs required to ensure NWT residents are qualified for employment at Giant Mine or for any other resource sector job in the NWT. This includes the higher paying, skilled-labour and professional jobs in the remediation and extraction sectors. This workforce plan could also inform programming at the future polytechnic as it develops.

As stated we must also advance the procurement review and reform started in the 19ᵗʰ Assembly. This review took way too long and there were many pieces of it that should already have been in effect. We must ensure northern dollars stay in the north with true northern firms. I’d like to see the development of an Indigenous Procurement Policy early in the life of the 20ᵗʰ Assembly. This will help to ensure that any remediation work happening the territory is going to a true northern business.

 

6. As we look to diversify the NWT’s economy, what economic growth opportunities do you see inherent in Yellowknife’s airport?

We definitely need to make more spaces available for leases for airlines. I heard as minister that many wanted the few coveted spaces available. We need to have retail spaces and arts spaces in the airport to showcase the unique and diverse cultures of the north. There should be a food court with options on both side of security to eat. There must be a visitors’ centre/kiosk to promote and showcase our northern tourism businesses and local attractions. As well as, ample space for parking and for rental companies to operate on its grounds.

We should have an area dedicated to cold weather testing, a great economic opportunity for the NWT, as well as a place to land airships as that technology develops. Currently the U of M has received funding to construct at a Airship port somewhere in the north. We should be seizing on opportunities like this to be at the forefront of cold weather testing and the airport would be a great space for that.

Do you think it is time to transition the Yellowknife Airport to an airport authority model allowing for greater flexibility to invest in infrastructure, improve services, and manage their finances?

I’d definitely support exploring this option. There is a lot of money in the Airport Revolving Fund and it’s time to start moving and capitalize on being the northern transportation hub and make our Airport something spectacular. Let’s get building and employ more people!

 

7. As an MLA how will you make downtown Yellowknife a more attractive place for tourists to visit and for future business investment?

First I call for the construction of five regional treatment centres run by Indigenous Governments in my platform. There is money from Indigenous Services Canada for this but HSS has always said no. The vulnerable sector in Yellowknife’s core consists of many people who are not originally from Yellowknife but have ended up here due to a lack of services in small communities. If we can help those people to return to their home communities to heal amongst their people in a culturally appropriate way, we will alleviate the issues in Yellowknife’s downtown core. We need to have places for detox and aftercare, as well as sober living. It’s my vision that these regional centres could serve in this capacity.

I’d also like to see counsellors or psychologists integrated into our RCMP and become part of the first response team to deescalate situations and come from a place of care and compassion hopefully diverting some from the legal system. I’d like to explore First Nations policing and other such programs so that we are not continuing to punish people for their inability to cope with the complex trauma that they have endured.

How do you view the intersection between homelessness and public safety?

It’s a crucial intersection. Hurt people hurt people. And people with no safety, no home, no place to rest securely live constantly in the fight or flight mode. This causes huge amounts of stress leading to chronic health effects and mental health issues. When people have existed in this state for a period of time, they become very reactive and it’s about survival only. This is when we see incidents occur in public. Until we take care of the deep-seated trauma so many are experiencing in our community we will not have a truly safe downtown core.

 

8. As an MLA, what concrete steps will you take to build the collaboration necessary to implement comprehensive solutions to these issues?

As a member of the two busiest standing committees in the 19ᵗʰ Assembly, I met with numerous stakeholders as part of the work on the ambitious list of legislation that was undertaken. Through that I connected with many NGOs, Indigenous Governments, academia, and other stakeholders, and
particularly enjoyed connecting with the youth I met. With many of these stakeholders I fostered an ongoing relationship that extended beyond the confines of the Assembly. I often met on my own time with residents and non-profits to hear their stories and concerns. And I would also take my own time and money to travel as much as I could in the territory during down periods at the Assembly so I could continue to inform myself for my work.

Additionally, years of being a consultant and volunteer has left me with a vast network in business, the resource sector, government, as well as academia. In fact, over my term I presented twice for the University of Manitoba’s Airships to the Arctic Conference as well as at NAPEG, my professional association’s conference. I have continued to keep up with my professional network of consultants and engineers and attend events that they host to stay up to date such as the Geoscience Forum held annually in Yellowknife.

What accountability measures will you commit to implement to ensure meaningful action takes place to address these issues?

I will continue to raise issues as I see them in the 20ᵗʰ Assembly like I did in the 19ᵗʰ. I’ve never hesitated to speak the truth and I commit to continuing to do so if re-elected. I do not shy away from hard questions or difficult conversations and I believe that is key to holding government accountable. I would commit to pushing for the return of a Minister responsible for transparency as well as for better accounting systems for contracts being issued by the GNWT. We must ensure the money we are spending is being done so in a correct and proper manner following best practices.