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

Accountability and Oversight
Board of Management
Government Operations
Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9143
Extension
12185
Mobile
867-446-1335
Constituency Office
Email
Email
Phone
867-446-2564

Statements in Debates

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

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So it's just a matter of time I guess, that the department's going to have to start catching up and starting to recognize that Tu NedheWiilideh riding is a separate riding on its own. It's got four communities but yet we're rolled into the South Slave region and the positions that are there are not identified. So then when you say that there's money going to be going to South Slave region, really it's only going to include Hay River and Fort Smith but nothing for Tu Nedhe, which is N'dilo, Dettah, Fort Res and Lutselk'e. But that's okay, I'm hoping that the...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know this year my colleague Jane, MLA from the Tlicho region talked about the way the Tlicho is mixed into the North Slave. I also too want to raise that as an issue because you just clarified to me that, you know, you don't have that information right now but it's only Hay River and Fort Smith. But then so when you say that, this information is kind of skewed in a way that it rolls in Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e and N'dilo and Dettah. So where does N'dilo and Dettah fall in? Does that fall into the North sorry, South Slave? Or sorry, North Slave? Thank you, Mr...

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...

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

Okay, thank you. Thank you for that and for clarifying that. I'm not sure when on one hand, you know, when I became the MLA, I represent the four communities of Tu NedheWiilideh, and I'm not sure when are we, the government, you're going to start looking to recognize that, because right now as it is the positions that are on these documents, or the monies that's going to the North or South Slave region, it's really I mean, how much money is it really coming into Dettah and N'dilo, to Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I got a few questions. In regards to your on page 230 and then I go to page 232, in here it talks about South Slave region. As you know, I represent the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, which is four communities. In here, can you explain to me it says fulltime, and there's ten positions. Can you explain to me where are the positions? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the Minister for your response. I think it's a really good idea that I like what you've done in Fort Good Hope. You were there last fall and we like what we seen there too as well. So I guess maybe what I could do is if I want to make sure I want to be very clear that what I'm asking for is separate and outside from what the housing strategies that's already ongoing in the communities of YKDFN and Dettah and sorry, Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. This here is a separate little project where we could just really work together and identify what the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)

Yeah, just a comment. Again, I just want to say that small communities do matter. Housing in the communities are in great supply; we need money, we need to come up with a plan. So again yesterday I mentioned that we're going to have start working closely with Indigenous governments. Again, going forward, I'm just and I kind of heard some of the responses yesterday, so. Anyway, 2038 is just around the corner whenever you think about it. And thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last year when the budget was approved and we went through it, there was a commitment made of $5 million to be added into housing. And the question I have is that if there was a commitment made by the Finance Minister that that money's going into housing, I want to know from the Minister, did you get that money, and where did the money go to and which community was impacted? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)

Well, yeah, regardless what date it is, I mean, we're still going to be you know, still going to be needing social housing. And so, again, I'm not really sure how you're going to deal with this after those dates. I'm sure Canada's not gonna just drop the ball and say sorry, we can't give you any more money. At the end of the day, we are going to continue to need public housing. We're also like I said yesterday, we're going to need immediate housing, about $5 billion to catch up to housing and to make homeownership repairs and additional maybe even a hundred units a year. But, somehow, we...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)

Thank you. And, yeah, and then I guess you have to consider working with probably income support too because some of these families again, in small communities, we don't have employment. And so I guess you have to be flexible. So would that be something you guys consider as well? Thank you.