Deputy Premier Minister of Finance Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains
Caroline Wawzonek was first elected to the 19th Legislative Assembly in 2019 as the Member for Yellowknife South. Ms. Wawzonek served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. In 2023, Ms. Wawzonek was acclaimed to the 20th Legislative Assembly and returned to Executive Council as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister Responsible for the NWT Power Corporation.
Ms. Wawzonek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary (2000) and a law degree from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (2005). Her academic journey included language studies in China and Taiwan, as well as legal internships in the Philippines and England. Born in Calgary, AB, she has called Yellowknife home since 2007.
After establishing her criminal law practice post-admission to the Law Society of the NWT, Ms. Wawzonek appeared in all levels of NWT courts and engaged in circuit court travel. She later joined Dragon Toner, expanding her practice to general litigation and administrative law until becoming a member of the 19th Assembly.
Since 2007, she has taken on leadership roles in the legal community, including the presidency of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories (LSNT), section chair for the Canadian Bar Association Northwest Territories Branch (CBA-NT), and committee membership in various working groups. Her community involvement extends to appointments in multiple Yellowknife organizations, and she received a national award in 2017 for her contributions to Canadian Women in Law.
Ms. Wawzonek, a mother of two, enjoys running, paddleboarding, and time outdoors.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly don't want people to think there's not something in place. As of April of 2021, the Good Building Practice for Northern Facilities Fourth Edition was released by the department, and certainly would expect and consider it appropriate for all private developers in other levels of government and really any other non-GNWT bodies to be using this as their reference place. It does, in it, describe and explain what the model codes are and gives some guidance as to what we have found to be appropriate and workable for northern infrastructure. So certainly do want to...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, all positions that were reduced within the Department of Infrastructure were in Yellowknife with one exception. There was an airport manager position in Hay River that had been vacant for several years, and that has also been eliminated for these main estimates. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I certainly am happy to confirm and to commit that we will take a look at the design. Certainly, this project began pre-COVID, and the world has changed significantly since then and continues to change. So if this presents us an opportunity now today to ensure that we are truly looking at the opportunities tomorrow, then I'm happy to take that opportunity. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)
[Translation] And Zachary Messier who are from Allain St-Cyr School in Yellowknife, and they're both residents of Yellowknife South. [Translation Ends].
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am here to present Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act.
Bill 11 is a package of amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, which include changing how information held by the registrar of motor vehicles can be shared.
First, Bill 11 will protect consumers by allowing anyone shopping for a used vehicle to independently verify its registration history.
Second, the bill will support the NWT Bureau of Statistics to conduct its population count by allowing the registrar to share information from driver's licenses with government agencies.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's always a bit of hesitancy to be seen to be giving or suggesting how people should go about their taxes, but I take that point and I certainly commit to go back to the department and make sure that we are sharing what we can about where to access more information, what to do if people are uncertain about where to go with questions around CRA and to use their calculating -- calculators. So, again, I'll go back and make sure that our comms folks are active in this space and we're doing what we can to help educate residents. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is, indeed, and I certainly can get those numbers for the Member. I don't have all different stretches of highway. But I would certainly be able to provide that to this House.
And, Mr. Speaker, I just want to make one more note. There are -- there is a movement in some phone abilities now for people's cell phones to actually connect directly to satellite. I want to say that here because, again, this is an issue that affects residents, and I appreciate the opportunity to bring attention to the fact that people should look at their own new -- the newer...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a situation that we are somewhat dependent or really quite dependent on right now on NorthwesTel. They are our provider of cell services. What we have done in this space is certainly encourage them directly as a stakeholder here in the North but also encourage CRTC to ensure that their funding pots and funding pools are available to provide supports for exactly this service. And, Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest reasons -- or one of the biggest barriers isn't necessarily just the cell towers themselves. It's the lack of energy to actually power those...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening intently to the Member's statement. At this point in time I can certainly confirm that there is a design that is meant to balance both the current needs and future opportunities but as to what that might specifically mean, Mr. Speaker, I might need a little more time, and I'd be happy to get that information for the Member. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to highlight the significant strides we have made in advocating for better telecommunications services in the Northwest Territories. Our work with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, has led to transformative changes that will benefit all residents of the Northwest Territories.
On January 16th, 2025, the CRTC announced a groundbreaking decision to introduce a universal subsidy for internet services in the North. This decision marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards digital equity, ensuring that every household in the...
