Richard Edjericon

Member Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh

Richard Edjericon was first elected to represent the district of Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh in by election during the 19th Assembly in 2022 and was re-elected to the 20th Assembly later the next year.

A descendant of Treaty 8 Chipewyan signator Chief Oliver Edjericon, Richard Edjericon was born and raised in Little Buffalo River near Fort Resolution. He attended Diamond Jenness Secondary High School in Hay River and Akaitcho Hall in Yellowknife.

Obtaining his journeyman carpenter’s certification from Thebacha College in Fort Smith, Mr. Edjericon has nearly four decades of experience as a journeyman certified carpenter working through out the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in residential and commercial construction.

Eventually his work in construction brought him to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation as the North Slave Maintenance Coordinator. He would also become the General Manager for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Housing Division.

Mr. Edjericon’s dedication to his community led him to seek the position of Elected Head Chief for Dettah and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, holding that office from 1999 to 2003. He also became the Acting Grand Chief Spokeperson on behalf of the Akaitcho Chiefs for the Akaitcho Territory Government. He later joined the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board in 2007 and soon became chair, reappointed to this position in 2011.

Mr. Edjericon’s proudest moments include settling boundary disputes, signing political accords, creating fairer nation to nation relationships, and fostering economic development. As MLA he brings with him a passion for a fairer, more prosperous North, and a great depth of knowledge in housing, economics, and politics. He lives in Ndilo with his wife, Aleida.”

Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh Electoral District

Committees

Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Phone
Extension
12185
Mobile
Constituency Office
Email

Statements in Debates

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)

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 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 140)

Thank you. I only got three minutes and 42 seconds left so I think we'll have that discussion at another day. But I think it's a valid question that, you know, we need to be recognized and that monies that are going into the South Slave region or North Slave region, that it goes in for my riding goes into different regions and it's all over the place so that needs to be recognized.

Anyways, moving forward though, right now as it is as we and you mentioned in your speech today that there's we're going to be closing the mines in the next couple years. And we're going to be looking at new ways...