Caroline Wawzonek

Member Yellowknife South

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.
 

Committees

Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
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Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's Kristal Melanson back again, the director of the Management Board Secretariat.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Madam Chair, I'm not going to create a new project sitting here in the chair. But what I can do is I know we do have a new regional superintendent, I believe I hope in place already for the Beaufort Delta, or soon to be in place in the Beaufort Delta. And that seems like exactly the kind of thing that that individual should be going into Tuktoyaktuk and really, you know, making it their flagship project to sort this out. It's the first there are community infrastructure funds for tourism that the community may want to be applying for, and they could be getting the support of the regional...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I know we're just looking for I mean, there's the three different projects here. The lead, of course, was a joint venture between the two landowners of the region, that being IRC and GTC. So they would be the lead in terms of ensuring that their own beneficiaries would be benefitting in a maximum capacity. And I would have no sort of direct say in terms of saying to them who is or is not a beneficiary. Let me double check with ADM Brennan, though, if there's anyone else involved. Again, there may well be some particularly the technical supports, that would not we...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it doesn't I mean, not necessarily, but maybe. I guess it depends. In this case of the Robertson dock, because they were rehabilitating an existing structure, the Stantec folks were involved to determine whether that structure could be rehabilitated or had to be replaced and what the parameters of that would be. But if it's you know, again, if we're building anew, then that is a new building process. If you're rehabilitating, that's a different process. Yes, not necessarily is probably the best I can give, unfortunately. Thanks.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will send a consolidation of the list of projects to the Member for Monfwi. I mean, part of the challenge, of course, is, for example, that there's, you know, a Housing NWT project that is taking place in the Monfwi region. There is, you know, runway and apron overlays at one of the airports. That's under infrastructure. There's the North Arm Park. That is under ITI. So each and every one of these projects is listed in the capital estimates with its budget and the location but because they're in the different departments, we organize by department, so you're seeing...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I gather there unfortunately is not a clear as day answer and the reason is that it depends on the operational funding associated to the housing unit. Again, I don't strictly have that in my preparations from the perspective of providing a capital plan. I understand the frustration, and I understand the question does sound like it should have a simple answer. So what I'd suggest I can certainly turn it back there's five minutes to Mr. Martin to try to explain that now but I can also commit to providing in writing an answer as to how the determinations...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Madam Chair, right now, the project scope does not have an assisted living. It has contemplates the higher level of medical requirements that would be needed for individuals, so as well as other facilities, kitchen, laundry, and, you know, communication systems. Some of these are included right now in what is being scoped out. But as I said, at the present time it's being scoped for being an assisted living facility at a higher end need. So, you know, again, I would say the first step is to just get the site, do the technical evaluations and do this engagement. So to the extent that there...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, the complicating factor here is there are no GNWT lands that can be turned into a territorial park, nor unless there was to be some sort of lands swap. But, I mean, right now this is not GNWT land. They are IFR or Inuvialuit lands and/or Tuk community corp lands. So my in speaking with the department over the last couple of years and wondering why there isn't more development, quite frankly, in Tuktoyaktuk and/or along the highway, part of it is, again, that's not our land to develop and it's not our land to do anything with. We can support the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Let's go to ADM Brennan, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I mean, there are two parts to it I suppose. Firstly, if there's an interest in having DFO involved, I mean, the Department of ITI can be a liaison point where whether under tourism, whether under fisheries, potentially Department of Municipal and Community Affairs I imagine could certainly go and advocate to our counterparts to say, look, we would like your officials and staff to come and come to our region and look at what prospects there might be, do their own internal assessments and government processes that exist within the federal government. We would not be...