Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,
WHEREAS Housing Northwest Territories is building a new 50-unit affordable housing complex on 50th Street in Yellowknife, located between the Gold Range Bistro and the Raven Pub;
AND WHEREAS it is hoped that occupancy can take place in late 2026 or early 2027 to help families with affordable housing;
AND WHEREAS the new affordable housing complex is being supported by a contribution of $20.8 million through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Rapid Housing Initiative in partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the land for this initiative was donated by the city of Yellowknife as their contribution of help meet the needs of affordable housing opportunities in the city;
AND WHEREAS Housing Northwest Territories will be the owner this building and, once completed, it is intended to also house the future office of the Yellowknife Housing Authority;
AND WHEREAS this 50-unit affordable housing complex will be one part of the mosaic of solutions helping those who are experiencing affordability, homelessness, and other housing challenges in the North;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has guidelines for selecting names of Government of the Northwest Territories-owned office buildings;
AND WHEREAS the executive council of the Government of the Northwest Territories is well within its authority to waive their building naming policy and directly name this new building;
AND WHEREAS the guidelines for selecting names of Government of the Northwest Territories-owned office buildings do not apply to Government of the Northwest Territories-owned buildings designed primarily to deliver programs and services to the public;
AND WHEREAS the late Anthony Wilfred James Whitford (Tony), originally from the town of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, as a young Metis man started his journey with humble beginnings, with a lifelong history of public service, dedication and advocacy for Northerners;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Range Lake, that the executive council of the Government of the Northwest Territories name the new 50-unit affordable housing complex on 50th Street in Yellowknife the Anthony (Tony) W.J. Whitford Building;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this motion in 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've been thinking about this for a year and holy smokers, I felt like something really ran over me there when I was trying to read the motion in, and I guess it's a surge of emotion and respect for the Whitford family, Tony in particular, and of course people like his brother Marc who we have here in the gallery today. And I want to thank the Whitford family for allowing me to bring forward this initiative. I'd spoken to his three sons in different forms who I knew. I think I pressed the issue in particular to two of them out of the three, and everyone I spoke to in different ways all liked the idea of the initiative.
I am going to talk a little bit about Tony and why he represented the North so well. I mean, if I would like to begin, I'd like to call him one, not the only, in all fairness, but, you know, one of the North's favourite sons.
He was Captain NWT in my mind. He never missed an opportunity to talk about the North. He loved visiting Northerners. There wasn't a hand he couldn't find time to shake or pause to say hello to somebody. If he didn't know you, he made sure, you know, he stopped and said hi to you anyway, and he had a heart. He wore his heart on his sleeve.
I've known Tony, as I said previously when I talked about him, that I've known him basically my whole adult life. And I even knew him when I was a teenager, but I really got to know him as I got older. For some it's Tony; for some it's Anthony; some it's a bunch of other ways to describe him, but to me he was a legend and a myth.
There are many things I know about him personally, and I'd like to start with that before I talk about his credits to this institution.
In many ways, he was a mentor to me, and many. And I don't want to say only to me; I want to stress to so many. You know, when we would be auctioneering together, whether it's at the Rotary bike auction or helping the NWT Disabilities Council, I knew nobody put more energy into those causes than him. You know, he has a wonderful story about, you know, being a JP. Why? Because he wanted to be there to help people in the kindest of ways. You know, there's so many steps about how he has honoured people by just being there.
One of the favourite stories I often hear is when even former Member Sandy Lee talked about how exciting it was to work for him, being one of Tony's team and how he empowered the team to get things done and how he'd always make time for people; he cared.
Now from his election experience, or I should say his formal public service through the Assembly, he was elected in the 12th Assembly and eventually became the Minister of health, then on the Minister of social services, the Minister responsible for Science Institute of the NWT. Then he went on to public utilities board, transportation, public safety and services.
Mr. Speaker, they may be titles, but the important factor is Tony was such a guy that would spend the time getting to know the people, the staff, and the issues. And he would take files home and he'd take every issue personally, like deeply, in the sense of he wanted to get to know the files, wanted to get to know the people, wanted to get to know the problems. He wasn't just let's keep the paper moving guy; he was the guy wanting to know the story. It was more than just a signature on a piece of paper to him. It was about what did this mean to help Northerners. And I can tell you that personally. I may not have sat in his office in any one of those portfolios, and that would be the truth, but the truth is I know what he's like when he wanted to deal and learn about an issue and learn about people.
He went on and became Speaker in the 14th Assembly, and he even served as Sergeant-at-Arms in this Assembly. Such big shoes to fill; I could only imagine.
When I was in my first term, the 15th Assembly, he was named deputy Commissioner and then eventually made it to Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, a role I couldn't imagine being filled in a more perfect way. I'm not suggesting any of our Commissioners had done a bad job; I'm just saying it was so perfectly tailored for Tony. He was the guy. He liked being at the crowd, saying hi to people. And you know what? I think he was a beacon of light for most of us.
Now his history in the territories, as I said he was born in Fort Smith. He got his bachelor's degree in social work later in life. And to me, that was a perfect fit for the guy who cared about everything and everyone. It was the perfect, perfect application for a guy to pursue because he genuinely did care, and it was a perfect fit. And of course he later married his wife Elaine and had his children, or I should say his studies came after he had the kids technically but that's here nor there.
Mr. Speaker, over the years, all I can tell you is that the Whitford family, you know, is a combined family. Yes, it may not just be Tony. I mean, it's Marc and the contributions of the other brothers as well. It's a significant family that has made such much a strong dedication. But Tony's highlights, I'll tell you make me proud as being his friend. And as I've said before, I was Tony's friend. I think he was friends with so many people, but he was also my friend in the sense as well, and it was very exciting.
Tony would tell me stories. I remember as we'd sit outside either having coffee at Tim Horton's or even talking here about his days working for Helen Nasogaluak, the former Commissioner, or even John Parker, our legendary Commissioner, about days that have changed that even helped move the Northwest Territories government to where it is today. You know, if you'd asked him about one role, what mattered more, I don't think he could pick it. You know, could you say was it best being Commissioner? He'd probably say well, some days. But then he'd regale a story about being a marriage commissioner or a justice of the peace, the way he had influenced and touched people's lives.
And I can certainly say I am one of the lives that he had touched and helped, I think, improve for the best. I mean, I'm so grateful for his time and his energy that he's dedicated to this House. He'd served many years in the best of ways, and I think his accomplishments by themselves I think we could spend hours talking about but, more importantly, we're here to just run through the highlights that I'm trying to cover.
I know his parliamentary experience, he believed in this institution. When he was made Speaker, I mean I would often see how proud he was about the process, the dedication, the history, the respect for everything, and how important it was to him here.
He had a sense of humour and from time to time, he'd lay the law down, too, and he was very good at both. But he was very kind when people stepped the line when he was Speaker. And to me, that's the essence of what he was. Yes, here are the rules; I'll let you colour out of the lines a little bit, but you know what, the institution matters; do not offend the structure of the institution and he would pull you back in. I mean, I believe, if I remember correctly, he presided over the Mickey Mouse tie debates, the great thundering roll about what proper attire is in the Assembly. And he'd seen many stories that have changed, that turned legends of what we've seen into myths. But to me, he's one of the greatest legends of the Northwest Territories we've had. And sometimes it's the old, if we want to drill down too far, I think we missed the point. Really, the generosity of his time and his kindness is the greatest gift he's given us all and hence that's why I want this opportunity to say this motion is -- you know, I was honestly having trouble reading it. I didn't think it would impact me as much as it did, even just thinking about it. Getting it organized was no big deal. It was like oh, just type away, type away. But until the words were being uttered today, I mean, I just felt this weight that I haven't felt in a while. Because I think it not just matters to me; it matters to a lot of people.
And as I am going to finish and pause and welcome any thoughts from folks, my colleagues that is, I couldn't do this without the support of the Whitford family, both Linda and Marc; I've appreciated that. His sons, Blair, Ian, and Warren. And I would say that city council of Yellowknife, I've reached out to them and they're excited by potentially this opportunity to have a conversation about this initiative. And that's not to put pressure on people how to vote; I want people to vote from the heart -- no, I do, genuinely I do. But there are many people excited by this. I mean, the people of Rotary hearing that, you know, this initiative was being brought up. I mean, he had received the Paul Harris Award.
Now, most people may not know what that is but that's an exemplary award through Rotary about community service. I mean, even his personal motto is about service. And if there's a person that really did walk the talk, it was Tony.
So, Mr. Speaker, I am going to pause here for now. And I should say at this point I will ask for a recorded vote just in case I forget later. And I would thank my colleagues for their consideration of this. And I think in the end of the day, this would be honouring a great man who has meant so much to the institution of this Assembly, the institution of government, but most importantly the families and the people his kindness had touched throughout the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And this is an easy motion to support, and I expect it will be an easy motion to pass. But it is fitting that someone who left such an indelible mark on the history of the Northwest Territories receives a lot of debate in this House about what he did.
Tony Whitford was not someone I knew as well as perhaps members of his family. I was, of course, much younger than Tony but, you know, I almost -- it's weird not to see him sitting at the table of this Assembly when in the 18th Assembly it was -- you wouldn't have a sitting of this House without Tony coming in for one day, you know, so you quickly learned who Tony is and you quickly learned the many titles that he was associated -- that he had received for his exemplary service to the Northwest Territories. And, I mean, if anyone doubts the impact he has made on people's lives, I think it's pretty hard to make the Member for Yellowknife Centre to cry and that is something that just happens. But, you know, Tony gave so much to the community, and it seems fitting that we honour his memory and his legacy with the way this motion suggests -- or not suggests, calls for, the new housing complex. Housing is going to make such a difference in Northerners' lives. We've heard that loud and clear. It is one of the commitments of this Assembly, and it seems even more fitting that as we've made significant progress advocating for better housing conditions for Northerners that we remember Tony's tremendous legacy by creating the new homes that people are going to enjoy, that are going to be an anchor for their security and support for years to come, bear his name. So I think this is such a fitting tribute to a man who was a giant in the North, and I wholeheartedly endorse it. And I think also Tony would like nothing more for the number one word of the day in Hansard to be Tony. So I am going to say, Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, and I hope others will support this as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I just want to say I have such great respect for the legacy of Tony Whitford. Before he passed away, he was a Yellowknife North constituent, and I had the great pleasure and honour of visiting him, meeting with him several times, and he certainly has made a lasting impact on me.
I also certainly wouldn't want this to become a debate about how great of a man Tony Whitford was. First of all, I think we would be here for days but, also, I don't think it's probably an appropriate debate for this House. And I also just want to recognize that I understand Cabinet does have a naming policy for its buildings, and I'm not actually aware whether they've been receiving other submissions to name this particular building, perhaps after another great northern figure, or whether they might be considering a name that has some particular significance to northern heritage or culture or geography. But I certainly -- from my point of view, Tony Whitford is more than a worthy candidate for someone to name this building after, and I am certainly happy to endorse this option but at the same time I recognize it's not my decision to make. And actually I'm glad it's not my decision to make because it must be a very difficult one, especially if there are a number of people or things that we want to honour their great legacies in the NWT. So I'll be supporting the motion but also recognize that this is a Cabinet decision, and it must be a difficult one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. To the motion. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I couldn't have said it any better than the previous presenters to a honourable person.
I had the opportunity of meeting and talking and discussing issues there with Tony in the 18th Assembly, and Mr. Speaker, he would humorously say I was a Speaker, I was a Commissioner, I was the MLA, I was the Sergeant-at-Arms, I was the Minister, and I was also told they're not going to hire me anymore because I don't know how to stick to a job. So the conversations we had was very humorous, and I'll never forget that. So it gives me great pleasure to support this motion. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the words of my colleagues and don't have a huge amount to add here, but I'll just share some of the words that I shared when I heard of Mr. Whitford's passing.
I first met Mr. Whitford when he was working as the Sergeant-at-Arms in the Assembly and I was a young cub scout working as a page. To the pages in the room, this was actually my first job too.
He was a reassuring and warm figure in a pretty intimidating setting, and I've thought fondly of him since. He certainly made immeasurable contributions to our community and territory, and he was a deeply loved and deeply respected figure. And so, you know, similar to the Member for Yellowknife North pointed out the naming policy that Cabinet holds, and I had a look through the policy. It does seem like this suggestion is in line with the policy, and so I'm happy to add my weight behind the suggestion that this be brought forward and, you know, I think Mr. Whitford's legacy is absolutely -- I'm at a bit of a loss for words here, but it's something I think we can all agree, you know, he left a big impact on this territory, and so I think naming a building after him does make a lot of sense. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. To the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I stand to also give support to this motion. I have known Tony for a long time, being here in Yellowknife since probably around 1977. And I met Tony many times in all coffee shops I can think of and all the times we talked about the good times and we talked about the treaties and his growing up in Fort Smith, and it was really -- he was really an honourable man, and I have great respect for him. And when he passed, you know, we lost an icon of the North that I could think of who gave his life so that he could represent the people in the Northwest Territories. And he's done that. And I know the family very well, and Marc Whitford up there, he's a very good friend of mine too as well, and the family. So imagine getting together with Tony and George Tuccaro and guys like Marc Whitford in the coffee shop; you know, we have memorable times. So I just want to continue to support -- let my colleagues know that I do support this motion for an honourable man. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member from Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by expressing my deepest respect for the late Tony Whitford. Though I did not have the privilege to know Tony personally, Mr. Whitford personally, I recognize and admire his lifelong dedication to the people of the Northwest Territories. He served this territory as a social worker, as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, as Speaker, as Commissioner, and a tireless community volunteer. Mr. Whitford was a true champion of people and community, and his legacy and contributions will continue to inspire us all.
Mr. Speaker, it is because of that legacy that I understand and appreciate the Members' intent in bringing this motion forward. At the same time, it is important that when we consider the naming of government-owned buildings, we do so in a way that is fair, consistent, and respectful of the process. Our government has established guidelines for naming Government of the Northwest Territories-owned office buildings which set out how these decisions are to be made.
Under these guidelines, Cabinet may approve a public engagement process to solicit potential names that reflect the historical, cultural, and geographic significance of the Northwest Territories. The guidelines also allow for buildings to be named in honour of a deceased person who has made significant contributions to public life and to the well-being of territorial residents. When the GNWT followed a similar process in naming what is now the Liwego'ati Building here in Yellowknife, we invited residents to share their ideas through a public engagement process. Nearly 200 suggestions were received and reviewed by the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council which made recommendations to Cabinet using the same criteria outlined in the policy. That process ensured that the decision reflected both by the values of the people and the procedures designed to protect fairness and transparency. These processes and procedures exist to ensure that every naming decision, no matter how meaningful or personal, is guided by fairness, respect, and due process.
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT is committed to following that same approach. Work will begin very shortly to prepare for a public engagement process to help identify an appropriate name for the new 50th Street affordable housing complex. This process will ensure that residents across the territory have an opportunity to share their ideas and that the final decision reflects both the intent of this motion and principles of fairness and inclusivity to guide our work.
Mr. Speaker, as a typical practice, when a motion provides direction to government, Cabinet will be abstaining from the vote on this motion. Quyananni, Mr. Speaker.
To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. Before we call the vote, Member from Yellowknife Centre, do you wish to close debate?
Yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. And thank you for those who spoke. I just want to briefly say a couple small things; I won't take the full 20 minutes. I'll be surprised if I get even to five.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very personal motion for me. It's not about the success of the motion that I need. I don't need that win. But what I think is the territory needs this win. I think Tony's legacy needs this win more than me. And that's what I'm stressing. It's not about me; it's about the passion that every time I think about his shadow walking by, standing in it -- I mean, he was an incredible giant and meant so much to us. And I think about the people he got to know and help. I mean, there's no public organization that has gone without feeling the loss of his impact.
When Cabinet -- I heard that -- respectfully, I heard the housing Minister. I hear you. I hear you. But, and that's why the motion says you have every ability at Cabinet to waive these policies. And I'm serious when I say this. This is not meant to be funny or cheeky or in any way. But I remember the NWT opening up, what should we call the NWT? The most popular name was Bob. And I'm not trying to make a joke of it. It's just how many hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of names might we get in the context of here's a worthy one. And we have the ability as leaders to make these types of decisions. This is not the difference between deciding who gets health care dollars or who gets road money or who gets into housing. This is to honour the name of a building. Okay. So I'm not saying it doesn't have an impact. As a matter of fact, it'll have an impact, a reminder, a symbol in this community about the Whitford family contribution to the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to wrap up by reminding people that, you know, if you are a tugboat or barge operator riding the Mackenzie River, you too could become the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Whether you're turning wrenches as a mechanic in Lutselk'e or Tsiigehtchic or Behchoko, maybe one day maybe one day you'll be a marriage commissioner and on to your way to be a Commissioner. A social worker, a plant operator, a public servant, a marriage commissioner, a notary public, a justice of the peace, and you can end up becoming one of the icons of the Northwest Territories. What I'm saying here, Mr. Speaker, Tony was our diamond in the rough. He came from extraordinary, humble beginnings, and his passion drove him to the highest contribution of public service.
Mr. Speaker, when he was the honorary table officer in my last Assembly before I was on my sabbatical of course, he would come in and sit as the honorary table officer and send me notes and pictures -- respectfully, that is -- and it was funny sending them back. And I could see him smile there because he'd have to help with things and be involved in things. I mean, his contribution to this Assembly is so deep and to our government.
And, Mr. Speaker, he's not the only one who would call me The Hawk, but as I'm walking around and I hear him bellow it out, I'd get the chills down my spine about saying there's Tony, you know, and I hear other people -- I mean, I've been called a lot of things but, I mean -- I mean, respectfully, of course, but nobody said it like him. And to me, I'll miss that. And you know what? I mean, I miss his voice. I miss his presence. And I know everybody here does as well. And for that, I'm grateful for the time and even energy that we were able to put in this consideration. And I do hope Cabinet will deeply think about the opportunity here. We have former Commissioners with buildings named after them, and their legacy pales in comparison, in my humble opinion, to this man that we speak of today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
