Richard Edjericon

Member du Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh 

Circonscription électorale de Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh

Richard Edjericon a été élu pour la première fois dans la circonscription de Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh lors de la 19e Assemblée en 2022 et a été réélu à la 20e Assemblée l’année suivante. Descendant du chef Oliver Edjericon, signataire du traité n° 8 conclu avec les Chipewyans, Richard Edjericon est né et a grandi à Little Buffalo River, près de Fort Resolution. Il a fréquenté l’école secondaire Diamond Jenness à Hay River et l’Akaitcho Hall à Yellowknife.

Titulaire d’un certificat de compagnon charpentier délivré par le Collège Thebacha de Fort Smith, M. Edjericon compte près de quarante ans d’expérience en tant que compagnon charpentier certifié. Il a travaillé aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest et au Nunavut dans le domaine de la construction résidentielle et commerciale.

Son travail dans le secteur de la construction l’a finalement amené à travailler pour Habitation Territoires du Nord-Ouest en tant que coordonnateur de l’entretien du Slave Nord. Il est également devenu directeur général de la division du logement de la Première Nation des Dénés Yellowknives.

Le dévouement de M. Edjericon envers sa collectivité l’a amené à briguer le poste de chef élu de Dettah et de la Première Nation des Dénés Yellowknives, qu’il a occupé de 1999 à 2003. Il est également devenu le grand chef porte-parole par intérim des chefs du territoire d’Akaitcho pour le gouvernement du territoire d’Akaitcho. Il a ensuite rejoint l’Office d’examen des répercussions environnementales de la vallée du Mackenzie en 2007, dont il est rapidement devenu le président, avant d’être reconduit à ce poste en 2011.

Les réalisations dont M. Edjericon est le plus fier sont le règlement de différends frontaliers, la signature d’accords politiques, l’instauration de relations plus équitables entre les nations et la promotion du développement économique. En tant que député, il apporte sa passion pour un Nord plus juste et plus prospère, ainsi que ses connaissances approfondies dans les domaines du logement, de l’économie et de la politique. Il vit à Ndilo avec sa femme, Aleida.

Committees

Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Phone
Extension
12185
Mobile
Bureau de circonscription

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 143)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address a passionate issue that concerns us all. Our government has recently intended to raise the power rates to an unacceptable high level, placing undue burden on our hardworking families and businesses. However, I am pleased to inform you that this proposal has been stopped in its tracks by the public utilities board.

Mr. Speaker, before the Minister cries foul that it was the power corporation that pushed for this rate increase, this is arm's length from the Crown corporation. I will remind this House that the board of the power corporation is 100...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 143)

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, Minister. And, yeah, because, I mean, I've been thinking about this for a long time, even as a former chief and a leader in our community, and I keep thinking, you know, this is a big issue. It's a huge undertaking. And I'm thinking that maybe somehow we can't do it alone but at the same time I think the Premier is here, and I think she hears me what I'm saying, and it's something that we may have to take a look at because it's a big issue that we all have to work together on and we can't solely just put everything on your department. But I think there's...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 143)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee's primary work for this review was to compare the GNWT's approach with the federal backstop. This work was challenging due to a lack of information from the department and overall uncertainty about what the federal system would look like if Bill 60 fails.

Committee asked the department why the GNWT's approach is better than the federal

system. The department provided three main reasons:

Greater freedom to design the carbon rebate system;

Flexibility to adjust how the tax is applied; and

More certainty for new mines, small mines, and mines that are shutting down.

Co...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 143)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I take it that the power rates is going to be going up. So if that's the case, Mr. Speaker, then why do we have retreats? Why do we go to these things and bring our voices to the table when we're not consulted? You know, we got over 9,000 customers here in the Northwest Territories and, you know, we want to raise powers rates? Maybe it's time to review the power corporation and maybe quit giving out these bonuses.

Mr. Speaker, the high cost of power is breaking the backs of residents, small businesses, and big industry in the Northwest Territories. How does the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 143)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't around in 2019 when the MLAs got together and they went to a retreat and they put in all their wish list into a bucket, and then they came up with 24 recommendations. But part of those recommendations was very clear, that there will be no power increase. In the Northwest Territories, we got the highest power rates in Canada, next to Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and so on. And right now, in last year, just after the budget was ended, this government made an announcement to increase the power rates by 20 percent over a twoyear period.

Mr. Speaker, now that the public...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 141)

And just going forward on page 242 and 243. Again, regional allocation of funding and positions etcetera. I mentioned a few weeks ago as well that we got to I guess I do have a concern in regards to how North Slave is how we're rolled up into the North Slave region, whether it be N'dilo, Dettah. And then the question is where does Lutselk'e fit in, are they a part of the North Slave or South Slave? And in terms of the South Slave region, again, right now from what I was told last time I was going through this is that South Slave is predominantly in Fort Smith and Hay River but so Fort...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 141)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So going forward, I guess, I'm just thinking that as claims get done in the North and Indigenous governments want greater control on managing the housing situation in their communities, I guess would your department or are they going to start looking at how they're going to start working with Indigenous governments to fulfilling some of these roles through either agreements that they have either through a block funding agreement or contribution agreements? So sooner or later, this government here has to start recognizing that we are going to have settled claims. And...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 141)

Madam Chair, I note that she touched on the Minerals Act. Right now it's also under review to my understanding. But it's also a concern that was also brought to my attention by a member from my community that, you know, there should still be more Aboriginal and Indigenous engagement on this Act, but right now it's what's happening is that they're working behind the scenes it seems like with industry, etcetera. Is it your hope to start working with Indigenous governments and then Denedeh Diamond Corporation, I guess they changed their name now, but in terms of getting some feedback on what...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 141)

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Anyways, I'm just thinking about the business incentive policies. In the early days when I was the local housing authority manager in the community in N'dilo, we managed all our housing in our community. We had a block funding agreement with the housing corporation where we agreed to build X amount of units in our community. But we had to follow the business incentive policy which means that we had to buy all cabinets from the North, all the windows from the North, all the screw jacks from the North, all the trusses from the North, etcetera. But what's happening...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I had one more a couple quick questions here if I could. In Hay River they have the Aurora Wood Pellets, and they have an arrangement with I guess that company in that's going to made up to look at building wood pellets, etcetera. Would you have any more information on that so you could share with us on that, or is that going to be in Minister Thompson's portfolio? Thank you.