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Home: Welcome
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THIS MOMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENSHRINE JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE, LAND & CLIMATE.

The world may be hungry to go back to normal. But before COVID hit, there were other deep-rooted crises in the Northwest Territories, including inequality, racism, & climate change. As young people and allies, we devoted 2019 to organizing for bold, justice- and science-based action to address these systemic realities because countless lives, including ours, depend on it. While the pandemic has shifted the world's attention, these problems have not gone away. But neither have we.

As many of us have struggled with a lack of good work, income security, quality housing, Internet access, and mental health and addictions support during the pandemic, the past few months have also shown us how easily governments can put people's needs first. In the NWT, buildings were rapidly repurposed for housing vulnerable groups, low-wage workers' pay was boosted, and evictions were banned, all in a matter of months. On the federal level, billions of dollars came through to support people in need. It's now clearer than ever that political will, not money, is what has been lacking.
 

History has shown us that moments of crisis, like the one we're in now, can transform societies for the better. This moment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild in a way that finally puts people, the land, and the climate first. We call on the GNWT to seize it.

Home: Who We Are
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OUR DEMANDS

Through discussions with frontline workers, community leaders, and those with lived experience, we've developed six calls to action for the GNWT to address the social, racial, and environmental injustices that COVID has exacerbated, during and beyond the pandemic.

Demands
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GOOD JOBS, LIVING WAGES & SICK LEAVE FOR ALL

The NWT has the lowest minimum wage of all the territories, at $13.46/hour. No one should be expected to live on this in the North, where the living wage is $23.95/hour. In addition, many don't have access to paid sick leave, compromising their health & others' if they have to show up to work to pay their bills.

The GNWT must raise the minimum wage to be in line with the living wage, and legislate two weeks of paid sick leave for all.

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GUARANTEED LIVEABLE INCOME

Income inequality in the NWT is one of the highest in the country. Too many residents have to deal with paternalistic, bureaucratic income support programs to meet their basic needs.  One of the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry on MMIWG2S, a GLI would establish an income floor below which no one in the NWT would be permitted to fall. In conjunction with other social programs, a GLI would open up new possibilities for those who wish to spend more time caring for loved ones, on the land, growing food, or creating art. 

 

We call on the GNWT to implement a Guaranteed Liveable Income.

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL

The NWT is in a housing crisis. Seeing that every person is sheltered in quality housing that meets their needs must be a top priority. Indigenous governments & organizations providing frontline services must be meaningfully consulted & in control of all housing initiatives in their communities. Investing in low-carbon housing is also an opportunity to create local jobs & lower emissions.

The GNWT must work with Indigenous governments to ensure all residents have access to quality, affordable housing.

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UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO INTERNET

Access to free, high-speed Internet is a necessity in normal times, and especially in times of isolation. It is paramount to health, safety and remaining connected in a vast, remote region, yet costs remain high and the speed and quality is low.

The GNWT must immediately ensure that all people have access to quality, affordable Internet and work to provide a long-term public option.

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COMMUNITY HEALING AND WELLNESS

Mental health and addictions touch the lives of many across the NWT. Everyone should have access to quality treatment options without having to leave their home community if they prefer to stay close to home. Programs should be community-led, trauma-informed and range between those based in Indigenous methods and Western ones, including on-the-land healing, cultural programming & counselling. Wellness initiatives, such as public spaces designed to foster connection to land, should be supported.

 

The GNWT must guarantee all NWT residents access to a range of culturally relevant mental health and addictions treatment options both in and away from their home communities.

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GREEN NEW DEAL

As the climate crisis worsens and mines close, now is the time for massive public investments to diversify our economy and slash our emissions. We must fund community-owned renewable energy projects, and create education and training programs that will help the NWT to adapt to climate change while leaving no worker behind. We must invest in other low-carbon sectors like land protection and remediation, Indigenous Guardians programs, early childhood education and care, Elder care and Indigenous language revitalization. Community-driven and Indigenous-led initiatives that meet these goals must be prioritized over all others.

The GNWT must transition away from fossil fuels and transform the economy with a Green New Deal that leaves no worker behind.

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INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

As young people in the NWT and allies, we will not back down in our calls for bold, justice-based action on inequality, racism and the climate crisis because our lives and this land depend on it.

Individual Spporters

LEELA GILDAY

Artist, Yellowknife

CHIEF DANNY MASUZUMI

Fort Good Hope

DR. COURTNEY HOWARD

ER Doctor, Yellowknife

PAUL ANDREW

Shútoat'ine Elder, Yellowknife

PATRICK SCOTT

Executive Director, Dehcho First Nations Association, Yellowknife

CHLOE DRAGON SMITH

Land Relationships Specialist, Yellowknife

CHIEF JOACHIM BONNETROUGE

Deh Gáh Got'îê First Nation

SUSAN CHATWOOD

Associate Professor, University of Alberta, Yellowknife

SHAUNA MORGAN

City Councillor, Yellowknife

BOB BROMLEY

Retired Biologist, MLA 2007-2015, Yellowknife

JESSICA BRUHN

Clinical Director, Re-Creation Healing, Yellowknife

DENNIS BEVINGTON

Fort Smith

NICOLE REDVERS

Yellowknife

RAYMOND PIDZAMECKY, MSW

Social Worker

MARLIES HOUWING

Family Doctor, Yellowknife

DANIEL T'SELEIE

Fort Good Hope

CRAIG SCOTT

Parent, Yellowknife

MARIA PELOVA

Family Doctor, Yellowknife

SHANNON JENNINGS

Student, Yellowknife

KAREN HAMRE

Landscape Architect, Yellowknife

SARA-ANNE PETERSON

Retired, Fort Smith

RYLAN CAMPBELL

Student, Yellowknife

AGGIE BROCKMAN

Consultant, Yellowknife

OZGER ONER

Yellowknife

NICK SOWSUN

Lawyer, Yellowknife

MARCO ESTEBAN

Yellowknife

DEBORAH SIMMONS

Tulít'a

TOMIKO ROBSON

Parent/Teacher, Yellowknife

CINDY NGO

Student, Yellowknife

ZANDER AFFLECK

Student, Yellowknife

ZOE GUILE

Conservation Planner, Yellowknife

SARAH PAIN

Yellowknife

VIVIANNE PAUZÉ

Student, Yellowknife

DAN KORVER

Architect, Yellowknife

JANE SUNDERWALD

Teacher, Yellowknife

AISLYNN STIRLING-CROSBY

Yellowknife

MARIMAR MACUSI

Yellowknife

KARYNE DANIELS

Alternative Learning Classroom Assistant, Yellowknife

AMANDINE FALETTE GALIUSSI

Early Childhood Educator, Yellowknife

ADELINE VETTE

Parent, Yellowknife

SAMIIRA ABDIRAHMAN

Student, Yellowknife

AVEN ELLIOTT

Yellowknife

ALANNA

Student, Yellowknife

AKUTHRI BALAJI

Student, Yellowknife

NATHAN ENSING

Yellowknife

JULIE LOOMIS

Yellowknife

JILL ALAIN

Speech-Language Pathologist, Yellowknife

WILLIAM GORDON

Husband/Father/Hockey Dad, Yellowknife

ZACKARY NAEDZO

Student/Activist, Yellowknife

JACQUELINE HALLIBURN

Lawyer, Yellowknife

ELAINE GILLESPIE

Yellowknife

MARGEAUX GUILE

Yellowknife

TYRA MOSES

Founder/CEO of DeneMedia.com, Denendeh

CAREY BRAY

Early Childhood Interventionist, Yellowknife

BRANDON CASTILLO

Yellowknife

ANONDA CANADIEN

Student, Activist, Land Defender/Protector,

Fort Providence

HOLLY JONES

Community Coach, Inuvik

SIMONE HIPFNER

Yellowknife

JULIE HARRIS

Teacher, Yellowknife

BRENNAN DEBASSIGE

Gold Miner, Yellowknife

DYLAN

Student, Yellowknife

ALEXIS MCLEOD

Student, Yellowknife

ANIKA AFFLECK

Student, Yellowknife

SUZETTE MONTREUIL

NGO Executive Director, Yellowknife

NEESHA RAO

Lawyer/Interim Executive Director, Yellowknife

WALTER BROWN

Community Development, Yellowknife

KATARINA KUHNERT

Inuvik

KATHRYN ORAAS

Yellowknife

ADY MCLEOD

Administrator, Yellowknife

LOIS LITTLE

Yellowknife

SABRINA FLACK

Doula, Moon Sprout Wellness, Yellowknife

ARLENE HACHE

Community Advocate, Yellowknife

ELLEN GILLIES

Yellowknife

KYLE ROGERS

Student, Yellowknife

PRETTY NGO

Student, Yellowknife

STEVEN GRIFFITH-COCHRANE

Family Physician, Yellowknife

RUTH BOWEN

Part-Time Researcher, Yellowknife

ADITHI BALAJI

Student, Yellowknife

KATHRYN WALKER

Teacher, Yellowknife

MARLIES HOUWING

Family Doctor, Yellowknife

RACHEL MACNEILL

Yellowknife

MICHELLE SWALLOW

Parent, Yellowknife

STEPHANIE BARRY

Program Support - Finance, Yellowknife

ASHLEY DAW

Artist, Yellowknife

ABE DRENNAN

Artist and Teacher, Inuvik

JANET DEAN

Project Manager/Facilitator, Yellowknife

ANDREW WITTLINGER

Parent/Builder, Yellowknife

ROSAMIN NATHOO

Inuvik

LAWRENCE NORBERT

Self-Government Advisor, Tsiigehtchic

TONY DEVLIN

Communications, Inuvik

ROBERT GRANDJAMBE JR.

Hunter/Trapper, Fort Smith

ALANA KRONSTAL

Yellowknife

KORRY GARVEY

Social Service Worker, Yellowknife

DANA HARRIS

Environmental Technician, Yellowknife

KIERRA ALTY

Teacher, Yellowknife

JULIA CUTLER

Yellowknife

THOMAS GAGNON-VAN LEEUWEN

Literacy Instructor, Yellowknife

SARAH CHAPMAN

Student, Yellowknife

ALYSSA TITUS

Family Physician, Yellowknife

PAUL FALVO

Dad/Lawyer, Yellowknife

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GROUP SUPPORTERS

The following groups have signed on to this campaign and stand with us in calling for a Just Recovery for the Northwest Territories:

Group Supporters

TRENT PETERSON

Yellowknife

BRIAN MCCUTCHEON

Semi-Retired Communications Consultant, Yellowknife

NIMISHA BASTEDO

Teacher, Fort Providence

BRADLEY THOM

DGGFN, Fort Providence

MEGHAN LEITCH

Physician, Yellowknife

TYANNA STEINWAND

Research Manager, Tlicho Government

AARON PLOTNER

Education Assistant/Outdoor Program Coordinator, Dettah

JULIA GYAPAY

MSc Student - Public Health, Hay River

MEGHAN HOUSLEY

Yellowknife

MINA CONNELLY

Lawyer, Yellowknife

ARIEL HOLMWOOD-BRAMWELL

Student, Yellowknife

MEGHAN SCHNURR

Yellowknife

JULIAN SCHRODER

Biologist, Yellowknife

TOM MCLENNAN

Pilot, Yellowknife

DYLAN RITIAS

Student, Inuvik

JOANNE SPEAKMAN

Research Assistant, Yellowknife

JASMINE GORDON

Registered Nurse, Inuvik

WENDY BISARO

Retired MLA 2007-2015, Yellowknife

MIKI ERLICH

Parent, Yellowknife

ELLIE MIA TAYLOR

Student, Yellowknife

CHLOE SON

Student, Yellowknife

CHRISTINA CARRIGAN

Yellowknife

MAURA MENG

Advocacy Coordinator - YWCA NWT, Yellowknife

KIM BAILEY

Yellowknife

ELLA KOKELJ

Yellowknife

SUSAN FITZKY

Social Worker, Yellowknife

KIRA YOUNG

Student, Yellowknife

SHEA ALAIN

Respiratory Therapist, Yellowknife

GWICH'IN LANGUAGE REVIVAL CAMPAIGN

PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA - NORTH

YELLOWKNIFE WOMEN'S SOCIETY

UNION OF NORTHERN WORKERS

RE-CREATION HEALING PSYCHOTHERAPY

OUR TIME - YELLOWKNIFE

CLIMATE STRIKE YELLOWKNIFE

YELLOWKNIFE ARTIST RUN COMMUNITY CENTRE

ALTERNATIVES NORTH

ECOLOGY NORTH

BUILDING NORTHERN FUTURES

AKLAVIK HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS COMMITTEE

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL GREEN TEAM

NWT MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

MLA RESPONSE TRACKER

Which Members of the Legislative Assembly have publicly committed to governing for a Just Recovery?

MLAs have been e-mailed at least twice for their position since September 10. If we haven't heard from an MLA by now, we're considering that a refusal to publicly commit to a Just Recovery. This section will be updated as responses are received.

Copy of MLA Response Tracking - Just Rec
Copy of MLA Response Tracking - Just Rec
MLA Response Tracker

EMAIL YOUR MLA

Email Your MLA
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