Articles by Francis Tessier-Burns

Community, Featured, News November 18, 2020

Beneficiaries request RCMP investigation into SSI purchase of outfitter, other organizations

RCMP says it won’t give details to protect the investigation. 


Some Sahtú beneficiaries are calling for an RCMP investigation into the Sahtú Secretariat Inc. (SSI) and other organizations in the region. “At this time we are requesting the assistance of the RCMP Forensic Investigation Unit to begin investigations immediately,” reads a letter sent to police by Raymond Yakeleya, Walter Blondin…

Community, Featured, Life Style, News November 17, 2020

SRRB decides community plans should lead caribou conservation in Sahtú region

The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board recently decided to replace the Total Allowable Harvest system with community conservation plans.


What is the most effective way to conserve caribou? According to a recent report from the Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), the answer is to let communities take the lead. The board decided to do away with Total Allowable Harvest (TAH) restrictions in favour of community conservation…

Community, Featured, Health, News November 13, 2020

Emergency shelter opens in Hay River

An emergency overnight shelter has opened in Hay River. The shelter is in the Kujat building on Industrial Drive and can receive up to 15 people. The shelter comes as a partnership between the NWT housing corporation and the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities. “This project is critical…

Community, Featured, Health, News November 12, 2020

Four additional COVID cases in Fort Smith

Four more people have gotten COVID-19 in Fort Smith. They are all connected to the individual case announced earlier this week. Public health officials say the transmission is travel-related. “All individuals continue to isolate and recover safely at home,” reads a public health notice. Dr. Kami Kandola’s office, the chief…

Community, Featured, Health, News November 11, 2020

NWT’s 11th COVID case confirmed in Fort Smith

The chief public health officer, Dr. Kami Kandola, has announced the NWT’s 11th confirmed case of COVID-19. In a notice sent Wednesday morning, public health officials say the case is travel-related and the individual is isolating with their household. They add there is no risk to the community as there…

Featured, Life Style, News, Politics November 5, 2020

GNWT says framework coming to boost Indigenous staff levels

In the past year, the GNWT workforce has grown by 500 people. Only 156 of those are Indigenous Aboriginal hires.


The territorial government is working on an Indigenous recruitment and retention framework to try and address an ongoing lack of representation within its workforce. Indigenous staff levels have been around 30 per cent for years. Caroline Wawzonek, minister of Finance, is in charge of human resources. She announced the framework…

Featured, Life Style, News, Politics November 2, 2020

Legislative Assembly establishes new reconciliation and Indigenous affairs committee

"Lots of work to do in this area," says Rylund Johnson, who put forward the motion for the committee.


“To seek and encourage discussions and recommendations on opportunities and challenges in relation to Aboriginal Rights negotiations and reconciliation.” That is the broad purpose of a new special committee that MLAs established on Monday. Rylund Johnson, MLA for Yellowknife North and Caucus chair, put forward the motion to establish the…

Community, Featured, News November 2, 2020

Elections gearing up across NWT

Nominations opened on Monday, Nov. 2 for nine hamlets across the NWT: Aklavik, Enterprise, Fort McPherson, Fort Resolution, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, Tulita and Ulukhaktok. According to the department of Municipal and Community Affairs’ election calendar, candidates need to submit their names by Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. The official…

Featured, News, Police November 1, 2020

RCMP investigating ‘suspicious’ death in Yellowknife

RCMP says officers responded to an incident in downtown Yellowknife early Saturday morning. Police say one person was found with “significant injuries” and was later pronounced dead. CKLB has heard the victim is an Indigenous woman but will be withholding the name until confirmation from the coroner’s office. In a…