The Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly building: Honouring our past and embracing our future.

• Author: Couturier, Don

This article looks at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly building and discusses the political developments that led to its construction.

**********

"In this country you have a greater chance of seeing a total eclipse of the sun than you do of seeing the opening of a new legislative building. This is only the third time this century, and only one more will be built in our lifetime. Well see you in Nunavut in 1999."

--Michael Ballantyne, Speaker of the 12th Legislative Assembly; speech delivered at the opening of the legislative building on November 17, 1993.

On November 1, 2013, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories held a public celebration to commemorate 20 years since the opening of its legislative building. Former and current Commissioners, Premiers, Speakers, Members, and Clerks of the Legislative Assembly gathered with the public to pay tribute to the territory's unique political heritage, historical evolution, and permanent home.

The phrase "permanent home" is particularly noteworthy, since the majority of the NWT's political dealings in the last hundred years have occurred in temporary and often ad hoc quarters. Indeed, the construction of the legislative building was a landmark moment in the territory's history, and one that signaled the arrival of its political maturity. No longer would the Assembly be tenants in their own land, confined to renting temporary space to house and conduct its business. As Canada's second-youngest legislature, the building also symbolizes the territory's long and winding journey through colonial administration. It is a symbol of the territory's efforts to break free from such arrangements and achieve its own unique blend of responsible and consensus government, elected representation, and political autonomy.

Twenty years ago, when the Right Honourable Jean Chretien stood in the Legislature's Chamber and announced the official opening of the building to the people of the NWT, they knew they had taken an irreversible step toward these goals. Although the push to devolve powers from the federal government would continue, they knew that from that point on the Legislative Assembly would become the most important symbol of public government in the territory. Set against this backdrop, the 20th anniversary of the Legislative Assembly building was a momentous occasion designed to highlight these milestones and the people who helped bring them about. It was also an opportunity to bring the public and their elected representatives together to celebrate the building's beautiful structure, as well as the final mortgage payment.

Historical and Political Development

The construction of the legislative building was significant given the way in which government administration has evolved in the territory. Although the Northwest Territories had responsible government in the late 19th century (representatives from other parts of Canada were elected to govern the territory at that time), from 1905 the affairs of the NWT were handled either by a Commissioner based in Ottawa, a council comprised of appointed public servants, or some combination of the two.

In 1951, when the Northwest Territories Act was amended, some form of representative government was restored, with three members from the Mackenzie District elected to the Territorial Council. In 1965, Abe Okpik of Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) became the first Aboriginal member appointed to the Council, and shortly thereafter in 1966 three eastern arctic ridings were...