“Reconciliation is a core value that council continues to champion and uphold.”
– the City of Yellowknife
Yellowknife’s new mayor is Ben Hendriksen, who has been in an acting role since Rebecca Alty began her successful campaign in April to be the NWT’s new MP.
The self-confessed “old-fashioned process guy” admits his victory following an internal council vote Monday will raise some eyebrows, as he won over two councillors who made their Indigenous backgrounds front-and-centre in their short campaign pitches.
Yellowknife’s new mayor, Ben Hendriksen, is congratulated after being appointed by his colleagues on Monday. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
With five councillors able to vote, Hendriksen won four votes to one over Coun. Garett Cochrane and Coun. Stacie Arden-Smith. Coun. Steve Payne voted for Cochrane.
The first-term councillor Hendriksen — originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, who prior to being elected in 2022, was living and working in Europe for several years — said he had recently met with Yellowknives Dene First Nations leaders and would be reaching out shortly again.
“I completely respect the public perception that people may have,” he told CKLB, after the internal selection process. “All I can say is that … I am ready and willing to work with Indigenous governments and Indigenous peoples.
“All of us are committed to that. So, I can’t affect the public perception that’s going to be, what it’s going to be, but I can commit to the work I’ll be doing.”
In his pitch to councillors, Hendriksen said this was not a typical election, and that until the next full election in the fall of 2026, he would focus on delivering on commitments already made by council.
“I want to stay focused on finding outcomes … so that we can get things done on issues of housing and homelessness, infrastructure, climate action and our economy.”
Yellowknife has never had a mayor who is First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, despite about one-quarter of its population being Indigenous.
The other two candidates for the mayor’s chair made their Indigenous heritage a prominent feature in media reports and in their personal pitches on Monday.
Coun. Garret Cochrane reacts as he learns he was not chosen to be mayor by his colleagues at a special council meeting on Monday to replace Rebecca Alty, who is the NWT’s newly elected MP. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
First-term Coun. Cochrane — who is Métis and an advocate for 2SLGBTQ issues — has embraced the public-facing role of being an elected official in a small city.
“The pressure and scrutiny from the public is not for the introverted or thin-skinned,” he told councillors. “You are expected to be at everything, everywhere, and sometimes all at once, and if you are not careful, it can overwhelm you.”
Two-term Coun. Arden-Smith is of Tłı̨chǫ ancestry spoke about her history on council providing her with insight into “many aspects of our city’s needs, from social issues to cultural heritage to the responsible allocation of resources.”
“I come here today, not as someone who seeks the limelight, but as someone who believes in service,” she said. “I have faced adversity, both personally and professionally, and it’s in these challenges that I have found my strength.
“My anchor is hope, hope that we can do better, hope that we can work together to build a city that reflects the values we hold dearest, inclusivity, equality and progress over the next 18 months.”
Coun. Stacie Arden-Smith reacts as she learns she was not chosen to be mayor by her colleagues at a special council meeting on Monday. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
After the vote, Arden-Smith said Hendriksen has expressed a positive attitude toward Indigenous issues and has always been open-minded and willing to talk.
But she was clearly disappointed with the results of the vote.
“I think there are going to be a lot of upset indigenous groups regarding this, because two … born-and-raised Yellowknifers were vying for this position — not saying Ben isn’t going to do a great job.”
She said that, in general, Indigenous people work very hard to succeed, but to move further ahead, “is always just out of reach.”
Once sworn in on May 14, Hendriksen will serve as mayor until the next election in the fall of the fall 2026.
Council will decide how to choose a new councillor to fill Hendriksen’s spot at a later date.
Council’s work has faced several delays since it was elected in 2022, due to the wildfire evacuation and COVID-19, but could have chosen to spend well over $100,000 to hold a by-election for mayor.
Only veteran Coun. Payne wanted to go that route.
“I want to put the power back into people’s hands,” he said at the start of Monday’s social council meeting. “In regards to cost of this, in the grand scheme of things, whatever this cost is, it’s not significant.
“Having a full democratic process is worth spending the (money). I don’t think it’s fair for the five councillors that are remaining to make a decision as important as bringing on a new mayor.”
Mayor-elect Hendriksen will be live on Denendeh Sunrise, with host Roy Dahl, on Wednesday, May 7th, at 8 a.m. If you would like Roy to address a topic with Hendriksen, please email him: roy.dahl@cklbradio.com
Former Yellowknife mayor and MP-elect Rebecca Alty returned to Council Chamber on Monday to say farewell as she heads to Ottawa next week to join the minority Liberal government elected last Tuesday. Council gave Alty some parting gifts, including a plant. Council later decided to appoint a new mayor from three candidates. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
