Environment, economy take centre stage at youth-led Yellowknife election forum

The mood was casual as Yellowknife candidates discussed the environment, quality of life and the economy at the youth-led candidate forum at Sir John Franklin High School Wednesday evening.

Candidates from all Yellowknife ridings were invited to the forum. Thirteen attended, including acclaimed Kam Lake and Yellowknife South MLAs Caitlin Cleveland and Caroline Wawzonek. There was representation from every riding in the city except for Yellowknife Centre, where candidates were attending their own forum. 

About 40 people were in the audience Wednesday, with youth and families well-represented.

But despite the low-key atmosphere, students were listening hard, especially when candidates spoke about climate change.

"It was nice to feel that youth voices were being heard," said Anya Smillie, the student who moderated the forum.

"We often see politicians in this very 'old white man in a suit' [way] and I think it's important to bring it back down to 'politics is about the people'. We are the people, even though, unfortunately, to my chagrin, we cannot vote." 
 
The questions were written by students from Sir John's debate club and "green team," and focused on issues that mattered to them. They chose three questions, all of which were answered by all of the candidates in attendance. 

Climate change

The first question focused on how candidates would address climate change, and whether they would support the declaration of a climate emergency in N.W.T.
 
Many candidates, including Wawzonek, Cleveland and Range Lake contender Aaron Reid, mentioned the need to reduce the N.W.T. 's reliance on diesel.  

Yellowknife North candidate Shauna Morgan stated her support for potential biomass heating for Yellowknife's downtown. Great Slave candidate Katrina Nokleby said she wanted to see more renewable energy projects at the community level, such as Inuvik's wind turbines.

Stacie Arden Smith, another Great Slave candidate, emphasized the need to include elders and youth in environmental projects. 

Bruce Valpy, also vying for Yellowknife North, focused on the need to adapt to the impacts of climate change and especially the dangers of more forest fires.

Only one candidate said climate change wasn't a priority. Yellowknife North candidate Jon Howe told students: "Relax, we're going to be OK," and said climate change was not an emergency.

Getting youth to stay — or return

Next, candidates were asked what the GNWT can do to make the territory a more attractive place for youth to stay and return to.
 
Many candidates such as Range Lake's Kieron Testart, focused on housing in their responses. But some candidates such as Wawzonek, Smith and Morgan, also focused on the importance of improving educational opportunities in the N.W.T. so students don't need to leave to get an education.

The importance of education was also a common theme when candidates were asked how the territorial government could help grow Yellowknife's economy.

Candidates Stuart Wray (Frame Lake), Nokleby, Cleveland and Spencer Tracy (Frame Lake) all spoke about the importance of educating people in the N.W.T. to take on jobs in industries like mining, construction and the green economy so that less of that money leaves the territory.

Many other candidates focused on the importance of initiating new mineral extraction projects in N.W.T. 

Reid and Wray said the N.W.T. should use its cold climate to its advantage and build data centres, which are often difficult and expensive to keep cool.

But students who ran the event said ultimately their priority is climate change, and that will be reflected in the next election after this one, when they become eligible to vote.

"I think the climate should be taken as the important thing, because if we don't, are the other problems going to end up mattering in a little bit of time, really?" student Neve Mahon said.