Articles by Francis Tessier-Burns

Featured, Industry, News, Politics October 14, 2020

Q&A: Katrina Nokleby talks losing her cabinet roles, responds to criticisms and looks at future as regular MLA; Part 1

'I think the territory is not cut out for a politician like me,' says the Great Slave MLA.


Katrina Nokleby says she needed some time away after having her ministerial portfolios and her cabinet seat publicly stripped. The Great Slave MLA travelled to British Columbia for about a month before returning and self-isolating for two weeks. Now out of isolation, she sat down with CKLB to address some…

Community, Featured, News, Politics October 7, 2020

Darryl Marlowe re-elected as LKDFN chief

Darryl Marlowe received 179 votes to Stephanie Poole’s 58 to be re-elected as chief of the Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation. Eligible voters could cast their ballots in person in the community and in Yellowknife. They could also vote online. The election was called in early September, following a months-long…

Community, Featured, Industry, News October 6, 2020

How comfortable are you with future tourists? NWT Tourism wants to know

Researchers say they want survey participants to be "representative" of the NWT population.


NWT Tourism wants to kickstart the tourism industry and rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic… if the time is right. The organization has hired research firm Leger to conduct phone surveys and get feedback from residents on whether they feel ready to receive visitors in their community. Residents who participate will…

Community, Featured, News September 30, 2020

Behchokǫ̀ Tree of Honour ceremony first of many to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

‘Enough is enough’ says Jane Weyallon, president of the Native Women’s Association of the NWT. 


Two dozen people gathered near the cemetery in Behchokǫ̀ yesterday to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Yesterday’s gathering was the first of six upcoming Tree of Honour ceremonies across the territory hosted by the Status of Women Council of the NWT. “This is not a way of…

Environment, Featured, News September 28, 2020

ENR warns of grizzly near Giant Mine site

The department of Environment and Natural Resources is warning residents of a large grizzly bear spotted near Vee Lake road. ENR is asking any residents to be cautious if walking or hiking in the area and to report any sightings to 867-873-7181. The department also shared some safety tips in…

Community, Education, Featured, News September 25, 2020

17 students get bursaries from Hotıì ts’eeda

Seventeen students, including 14 Indigenous youth, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a helping hand from Hotıì ts’eeda. Tommy Blake is one of the bursary recipients. Originally from Fort McPherson, he is studying Indigenous Social Work and has been living in Red Deer throughout the pandemic. He says being…

Featured, Health, News, Politics September 25, 2020

COVID-19 secretariat: smaller staff, more efficient, more expensive

Russell Neudorf, associate deputy minister, says it will cost $2.6 million more on top of the GNWT's current pandemic response to establish the secretariat.


The territorial government acknowledges it needs to improve its communications around COVID-19, especially regarding its proposed secretariat. Speaking with reporters Thursday morning, Russell Neudorf, the man in charge of the project, said all these questions are partly the government’s fault. “I believe this is in part because we may not…

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Community, Featured, Industry, Life Style, News, Politics September 24, 2020

Gwich’in Tribal Council supports Mi’kmaw fishers in Nova Scotia

Newly-elected Gwich’in Grand Chief Ken Smith has thrown his support behind Mi’kmaw fishers in Nova Scotia exercising their “inherent and constitutionally protected” treaty rights. In a statement on Thursday, the Gwich’in Tribal Council said it stood in solidarity with the Sipekne’katik First Nation. A conflict between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers…