Deputy Premier Minister of Finance Minister of Infrastructure Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
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, Minster 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.
No, Madam Chair, this is not new money to spend. This is the ability and the authority to borrow money to pay the bills that we already have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the extent of the work the Member's quite right, the extent of the work to see the implementation to the Mineral Resources Act is extraordinary. It is huge. And I'm happy to say I will be putting forward to the House a full summary status report detailing all the different pieces, all of what's been worked on with the technical working group, with the Intergovernmental Council and in order to show a pathway that we're on and where we would what we've achieved over the last four years. There is quite a lot that has been done. I will have that tabled in the...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 163)
Yes, please, Madam Chair.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 163)
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, I do have, I believe, the project here of $36 million. This was it was from prior years. We still have $2.5 million is what we're asking for the current plan that's before the House right now. This was a major renovation. This was intended to be, you know, really a place that has a mezzanine area, the gym viewing, a gym a new gym with, say, all bells and whistles, a career and technology building. It was meant to be the kind of flagship place that students want to go to school. It was something Madam Chair, I don't think anyone disagrees with the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal, provincial, territorial Ministers for energy and mines were scheduled and, indeed, did meet during the time of the evacuation. I was evacuated but I was able to attend the meeting virtually and with respect to the critical minerals and the mining side of this file, and continue to raise with colleagues federally, as to when we're going to see more progress on this file. It was a good opportunity to meet. I can say we are fortunately now part of the second round of provinces and territories that are doing work called regional energy and resource...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 163)
Thank you, Madam Chair. What I was hoping to find quickly is that I know that NorthwesTel was under an obligation to the CRTC in order to provide fibre to the home and have been providing updates of the progress on that project now for some time. I don't on my fingertips know where whether they are under the same obligation for this stretch. I anticipate that they may be. I'll commit to find that, Madam Chair. I don't I don't see it here on the list of communities that NorthwesTel is obligated under. So they may not oh no, Madam Chair, I take that back. They are on the list of upcoming...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 163)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this has been a difficult contract with the contractor that was in place. There have been some steps taken over the summer, I understand, to try to bring greater oversight to the delivery of the project. And the last update that I had also received just before the evacuations was that that had in fact brought about some changes, namely in the form of well, greater oversight from the project management team, a new project manager on top of that, and as such greater confidence that the promises made around a September date for the gym and the trade facility...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 163)
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the one this part is owned by the GNWT and not being constructed by NorthwesTel. So it's separate from the other portion of the Mackenzie Valley fibre line. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the wildfires certainly this season did have an impact on the industry.
With respect to Pine Point, Mr. Speaker, I imagine, quite fortunately, they're I understand their property was not affected by the wildfires notwithstanding how close they may have come. But one of there was one gold property actually much closer towards Yellowknife that did see some damage to some of their properties. But other than that, those are the only damaged properties. The impacts really were more in terms of the timing. There were some slowdowns of some of the operating...
