Articles by Francis Tessier-Burns

Community, Featured, Life Style, News October 30, 2020

MLA wants to make power limiters illegal in the winter

Jackie Jacobson says the use of power limiters is “inhumane” during the winter months.  


On Nov. 9, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation will start using power limiters again on residents that can’t pay their bills. The corporation made the announcement earlier this month, reversing a decision from earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic. The reversal caught the attention of Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson, who represents…

Community, Featured, Health, News, Politics October 28, 2020

Residents should get community support for self-isolation exemptions: health minister

CPHO has sole authority to accept or deny self-isolation exemptions.


Ron Bonnetrouge, MLA for Deh Cho, says community leaders in his region are concerned they are not consulted when Dr. Kami Kandola approves exemptions for self-isolation. Under the current public health orders, all residents returning to the NWT must self-isolate for 14 days in either Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River or…

Community, Featured, Health, News October 21, 2020

MLA says more mental health supports needed in isolation centres

Steve Norn says some Elders have told him the centre feel "like residential school all over again".


Steve Norn, MLA for Tu Nehdé-Wiilideh, says the territorial government’s self-isolation centres have a “darker aspect that we never really considered”. Norn said some Elders told him the centres feel “like residential school all over again”. Norn brought up the point in asking for better mental health resources for people…

Community, Featured, Health, News October 20, 2020

Inuvik COVID case confirmed; Yellowknife still waiting

The territorial government has received confirmation that an individual in Inuvik has COVID-19. “This individual… is recovery safely at home,” reads a GNWT public notice. On Friday, the government announced three presumptive cases — one in Inuvik and two in Yellowknife. The person in Inuvik drove to the community from…

Featured, Industry, Life Style, News, Politics October 20, 2020

NWT job market rebounding but not all sectors equal: Finance minister

‘The quality of the jobs may not be equivalent,' says Caroline Wawzonek. 


The NWT lost about 4,000 jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of those were non-residents. Caroline Wawzonek, minister of Finance, said her department expects the labour market to rebound to 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. However, not all job sectors will…

Community, Featured, Health, News October 16, 2020

New health minister says no plans for northern addictions treatment centre

The territorial government budgets $2.3 million to send residents to southern treatment centres.


Julie Green had a busy first day of session as the new minister of Health and Social Services. Regular MLAs peppered Green on several health-related topics, including the possibility of an addictions treatment centre in the NWT. Jackson Lafferty, MLA for Monfwi, cited the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action…

Featured, Industry, News, Politics October 15, 2020

Q&A: Katrina Nokleby talks losing her cabinet roles, responds to criticisms and looks at future as regular MLA; Part 2

'I left a vacuum and somebody else filled it. That's my biggest regret, not showing them more of myself before somebody else told them who I was,' says Nokleby.


Yesterday, CKLB published a Q&A with ousted minister Katrina Nokleby. Following an emotional end to the first interview, she agreed to return for a follow up. Prior to beginning, she told CKLB that she would not speak about details regarding threats she’d received, which is where the first conversation left…