The Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation (commonly known as BDIC) was established on April 1, 2005 as a Crown Corporation of the Government of the Northwest Territories. BDIC is an amalgamation of the NWT Business Credit Corporation, the NWT Development Corporation, and Canada Business NWT (formerly Canada Business NWT Business Service Centre), which is operated in partnership with Industry Canada.
BDIC is mandated to support the economic objectives of the Government of the Northwest Territories in a manner that benefits the people and the economy of the Northwest Territories by encouraging the creation and development of business enterprises; providing financial assistance to business enterprises, either on its own or as a complement to private sector or other financing; directling investing in business enterprises; and providing information to business enterprises and members of the public respecting the establishment and operation of businesses and other business matters.
BDIC is managed by a Board of Directors and reports to the minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Its day to day affairs are managed by a CEO and staff. Its two main delivery areas are Financial Programs (including credit programs, subsidiaries, contributions, and venture investments) and Business Support Services (information services through Canada Business NWT). They also lend support to Community Futures Development Corporations throughout the NWT.
The roots of the Northwest Territories’ college system begins with the adult education programs offered by the federal government, usually out of the federal day schools in communities across the NWT. During the late 1960s, Frontier College was also contracted to create a system of community-based adult education, with accompanying legislation being passed in 1974.
Responsibility for education, including adult education, was transferred to the territorial government in 1969. Also in 1969, the Adult Vocational Training Centre (AVTC) was established in Fort Smith, following a Heavy Equipment Operators course offered at nearby Fox Holes 1968. Canada Manpower/CEIC began sponsoring programs at AVTC in 1971 and in 1981, AVTC became Thebacha College.
However, there was recognition that program delivery at the community level was desirable, creating Arctic College in 1984 with campuses in Iqaluit and Fort Smith. Campuses were eventually established in each region of the Northwest Territories with headquarters in Yellowknife. The Arctic College Act was passed in 1986, making it an arm’s length corporate entity and giving it the mandate to deliver adult and post-secondary education. The Aurora Campus in Inuvik was established in 1987. By 1990 the community learning centres were also rolled into the College system.
In 1992, the head office of Arctic College was decentralized to Fort Smith and Iqaluit to prepare for the creation of two colleges as part of the preparations for division with Nunavut. On January 1, 1995 Nunavut Arctic College was established for the Eastern Arctic and Aurora College for the Western Arctic. The Science Institute of the Northwest Territories (SINT) was also rolled into the colleges to provide an in-house research institute for each.
Aurora College has transfer agreements and partnerships with a wide variety of technical schools, colleges and universities throughout Canada and the circumpolar world. It offers trade and apprenticeship training, certificate, diploma and degree programs, adult literacy, and basic and continuing education courses.
Aurora College is governed by a Board of Governors, appointed by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The Board determines policies for the administration of the College, recommends priorities to the Ministers for programs and courses, and manages the College’s finances, among other duties. The head of Aurora College is the President, who is appointed by the Minister and is a non-voting member of the Board. The President supervises, administers and directs the operation of the College in accordance with the Board’s direction. There are currently campuses in Inuvik (Aurora Campus), Fort Smith (Thebacha Campus), and Yellowknife (North Slave Campus), with Community Learning Centres in most of the NWT’s other communities. Headquarters is in Fort Smith.
The Northwest Territories Arts and Crafts Council (NWT ACC) was a non-profit society formed in 1978 with financial assistance from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The object of the Council was to promote and encourage the development of quality crafts and craftsmanship within the Northwest Territories. Policy was set by an elected board of directors and the Council published a newsletter and monthly news bulletin as a communication vehicle between crafts-people. The NWT Arts and Crafts Council was affiliated with the Canadian Crafts Council and World Crafts Council. After its founding, the Council sent delegates to the World Crafts Council in Vienna and Simon Qamanirq, the Chair, attended annual meetings of the Canadian Craft Council. The organization struggled and while it could obtain project funding, it could not obtain core funding, and it eventually dissolved in 1985.
The roots of the Northwest Territories’ college system begins with the adult education programs offered by the federal government, usually out of the federal day schools in communities across the NWT. During the late 1960s, Frontier College was also contracted to create a system of community-based adult education, with accompanying legislation being passed in 1974.
Responsibility for education, including adult education, was transferred to the territorial government in 1969. Also in 1969, the Adult Vocational Training Centre (AVTC) was established in Fort Smith, following a Heavy Equipment Operators course offered at nearby Fox Holes 1968. Canada Manpower/CEIC began sponsoring programs at AVTC in 1971 and in 1981, AVTC became Thebacha College.
However, there was recognition that program delivery at the community level was desirable, creating Arctic College in 1984 with campuses in Iqaluit and Fort Smith. Campuses were eventually established in each region of the Northwest Territories with headquarters in Yellowknife. The Arctic College Act was passed in 1986, making it an arm’s length corporate entity and giving it the mandate to deliver adult and post-secondary education. The Aurora Campus in Inuvik was established in 1987. By 1990 the community learning centres were also rolled into the College system.
In 1992, the head office of Arctic College was decentralized to Fort Smith and Iqaluit to prepare for the creation of two colleges as part of the preparations for division with Nunavut. On January 1, 1995 Nunavut Arctic College was established for the Eastern Arctic and Aurora College for the Western Arctic. The Science Institute of the Northwest Territories (SINT) was also rolled into the colleges to provide an in-house research institute for each.
The Northwest Territories Archives Council was created in 1988. The mandate of the council is to secure recognition of archives as a unique heritage source within the Northwest Territories, facilitate cooperative ventures between its members, encourage the establishment of archival repositories in the Northwest Territories, rationalize acquisition policies, offer training in archival science and promote the recognition, documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge shared orally, as a principle means of preserving and promoting the cultures and languages of indigenous peoples in the Northwest Territories.
In 1946, the Forest and Wildlife Division of the Northwest Territories was created by the Department of Mines and Resources with the responsibility of providing some protection for renewable resources and creating comprehensive management plans. Fire protection was one of the pillars of accomplishing these aims. The Division was headquartered in Fort Smith and fire protection efforts centred on that region, with services expanded to other areas gradually. A forest protection ordinance was enacted in 1951 and in 1959, the fire protection section was named the Mackenzie Forest Service (MFS).
Responsibility for the Forest and Wildlife division and later MFS changed hands from the Department of Mines and Resources to the Department of Resources and Development in 1950, the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources in 1953, and finally the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (in the Northern Affairs Program) in 1966.
In 1972, following a disastrous 1971 fire season, the Mackenzie Forest Service was reorganized and renamed the Northwest Lands and Forest Service (NLFS). It was placed under the direction of a regional superintendent and focused on resource management activities, including land use enforcement, land administration, timber management, water quality control, and fire management. A new fire protection policy was created and implemented in 1973.
After another disastrous fire season in 1979, a Ministerial Fire Review panel was appointed, holding meetings in the western NWT and coordinating research projects. They presented their report in the spring of 1980, which featured 96 recommendations. A new fire management policy was announced in 1980-81 and implemented in 1983 to improve fire-fighting procedures and increase community involvement, including the creation of a Fire Management Program Committee. Also in the 1980s, the regional office in Fort Smith became known as the Territorial Forest Fire Centre.
Devolution of the forestry and fire programs from the federal Government to the Territorial government, specifically the Department of Renewable Resources, began in 1985 and was put into effect on April 1, 1987.
Edmonton entrepreneur, Cy Becker, established the Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) in 1931. In 1936, the company was purchased by Charles and Gilbert Labine who in turn sold it to Eldorado Mining for $87,500. In 1942, Eldorado became a crown corporation. In 1976, NTCL ceased to be part of Eldorado Mining and became an independent entity, although still a crown corporation. NTCL had a profound effect on the development of the western arctic. Although purchased to supply Elorado mining, it always acted as a general carrier. In 1948, the NTCL was dominant in the arctic transportation industry in the Northwest Territories and in 1960, NTCL received the contract to supply DEW line sites and began operating on the Arctic Ocean. The Company's operations are divided into two main geographic sections: the Mackenzie/Western Arctic (including the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and Alaska) and the Eastern Arctic, which is comprised of the Kivalliq and Baffin Regions of Nunavut. Service in the Mackenzie River watershed began in 1934 and along the Western Arctic Coast and Islands in 1957. Service was extended to encompass the North Slope of Alaska in 1963. Cargo arrives by rail or truck at NTCL's largest operating terminal located at Hay River. It is then transported across Great Slave Lake, down the Mackenzie River to Tuktoyaktuk and along the Arctic coast eastward to Taloyoak and westward to Point Hope, Alaska. In addition to its Regional Offices, NTCL maintains two operating terminals in the Mackenzie Western Arctic, located at Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. Its extensive maritime route system in this sector is serviced by a large fleet of tugs and dual-purpose shallow draft barges, which carry both, bulk petroleum products and dry cargo. NTCL's operations in the Kivalliq region were established in 1975 out of Churchill, Manitoba. The communities of Arviat, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, Baker Lake and Coral Harbour are serviced through NTCL's Regional Office located at Rankin Inlet and its receiving terminal at Churchill. The company operates one tug, the M.V. Keewatin, and four dual-purpose 1800 series barges in the performance of its Kivalliq service. In 1996, NTCL began to supply fuel to all communities in the Baffin region. Although, NTCL's primary function is marine transportation, it also provides full range integrated logistics support services. Extensive marine maintenance and repair services are conducted in Hay River. Other services include warehousing and distribution, equipment chartering and leasing, steel fabrication and machining, electronic sales and service and the sale of industrial parts and supplies. NTCL is a member of the NorTerra group of companies.
Nap Norbert was born in Tsiigehtchic (Arctic Red River) on January 29, 1917. His parents were Manual and Caroline Norbert. Nap had two sisters, Agnes and Mary Anne, and one brother Harry. Nap's mother, Caroline married Louis Cardinal after Manual Norbert died. Caroline and Louis had four children, Sonny, Billy, Alma and Rose Cardinal. Nap's stepfather, Louis Cardinal had six children with his first wife Catherine Firth: Agnes (Cardinal) Blake of Fort McPherson, Ethel Cardinal, Violet (Cardinal) Jerome of Inuvik, Rudolph, Alice Margaret and adopted son John. Nap attended school in Fort Providence for approximately five years, returning home to Tsiigehtchic in 1929. He married Mary Norman in 1940 and they had seven children: Henry, Caroline, Bertha, Agnes, Archie, Lucy and Annie Rose. After Mary Norbert died, Nap married Annie (Moses) Niditchie of Tsiigehtchic in 1952. Annie and Nap had three children: James, Lawrence and Dennis. Nap Norbert spent approximately 15 years working on boats operating on the Mackenzie River. During this period, he spent some time working on the "Pelican Rapids", a Hudson's Bay Company boat. During the winter, Nap earned a living as a hunter and trapper. Nap Norbert passed away in 200[3?].
William Charles Noble was born on May 1, 1941 to William T. Noble (1913-1989) and Lucy R. Noble (1913-2005). After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, he undertook doctoral studies at the University of Calgary (then the University of Alberta at Calgary), which had established its Department of Archaeology in 1964. He obtained his PhD in 1968.
Noble conducted archaeological research in the Northwest Territories with the support of the National Museum of Man and McMaster University for four consecutive seasons (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969) and acquired the nickname ‘Barren Lands Bill’.
In 1971 he became an assistant professor in McMaster University’s Department of Anthropology (then the Department of Sociology and Anthropology), where he founded the Archaeology section. He conducted research and published studies on sites and First Nations cultures in Ontario. He was married twice, first to Jean MacLeod Slater and then to Jacqueline E. M. Crerar (Noble), and had two children, Gordon William Noble and Elizabeth M. Noble. He retired and became Professor Emeritus at McMaster University in 1996, and died on April 26, 2009.
Marjorie Osborne Nicol was born January 25, 1923 in Dayton Ohio to Herbert Osborne and Elsie Barker. She trained in 1944 as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). The program was cancelled shortly after getting her wings, and she joined the US Marine Corps Women’s reserve from 1945-1946. She received a BA in English in 1949 and a Masters in English Education in 1962. Married to Jason Nicol in 1948, they had five children, but he died suddenly in 1965. After travels with her family over two years in 1967 she moved to British Columbia with her five children, living first in Nelson and later in Vancouver. She taught English as a Second Language until her retirement in the 1980s. Upon retirement she became active in the peace movement. Marjorie died in Vancouver on July 27 1999.
John D. Nicholson was born in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1863. In 1885, he joined the North West Mounted Police and was stationed in Regina. Following his initial training, he was sent to Edmonton. As a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Officer, he was stationed in a number of locations including Battleford and Fort McLeod. In 1916, his station with the RCMP was taken over by the newly formed Alberta Provincial Police, whom he served with until his retirement in 1927. In 1929, his attention was directed toward the mineral surveying and prospecting industry in northern Canada and he accepted the position of Field Manager with the Mineral Belt Locators Syndicate. Following the discovery of pitchblende in the Great Bear Lake area in 1931, John Nicholson organized the Camsell River Mineral Syndicate. Using a large fishing boat and barge, he transported goods to and from prospecting camps and occasionally sold his services for information concerning possible discoveries. In 1934 W.G. "Bill" Stewart took a half interest in another barge and joined Nicholson in his transport and prospecting endeavors. He continued to work in the Great Bear Lake region until the discovery of gold near the Yellowknife River attracted him to Yellowknife. With the onset of World War II in 1939, John Nicholson rejoined the RCMP.
The photographs were taken by Alexander Neish, born 1936 in London, England. After arriving in Montreal in 1957, Mr. Neish gained employment as a counter hand at the Hudson's Bay Company store. He was initially placed at the Fort Simpson Hudson's Bay Company post. In May 1958 he was reassigned to the store in the new settlement of East 3 (moved from Aklavik), which would later be christened Inuvik.
The mission statement of the Native Women's Association of the NWT was as follows: To provide training and education programs for native women in the Western Arctic, so we can function more effectively in areas that affect our lives economically, socially, educationally, emotionally, culturally and politically. Management of the Association is a partnership between the Board and Headquarters staff. There are members on the Board representing six regions in the Western Arctic. Staff activities are managed through an Executive Director who reports to the President of the Association. In keeping with the practice of healthy leadership, Board members, staff and delegates of the Association are required to abide by a Sobriety Clause. The Native Women's Association was responsible for the delivery of two main programs: a Training Institute recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment of the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the Victim Services Program. The Training Institute offered a program from August to May in Yellowknife. This included adult basic education, literacy training, life skills training, leadership training and practical assistance. The community-based Yellowknife Victim Services Program used a pool of trained volunteers to offer support, assistance, information and referral service to victims. The program was managed by a full time coordinator. Volunteers would accompany victims to the hospital, explain the workings of the criminal justice system and assist victims in court. The Native Women's Association of the NWT and the Status of Women Council collaborated for several years to ensure that women had input into the development of a new constitution for the NWT. In 1994, this included a women's constitutional conference. In 1995, a report entitled A global and Western NWT Perspective on Guaranteed Representation Based on Gender Equality was produced.
The Native Communications Society of the Western Northwest Territories was incorporated on August 16, 1974. The objectives of the society were to promote and develop communications between the communities of the western Northwest Territories, train Dene, Inuit, and Metis in multi-media, and strengthen the self-image of Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. The objectives were accomplished through the publication of the Native Press newspaper, the production and broadcasting of radio programming, the establishment of the radio station CKNM, and facilitating media training workshops.
The Native Communications Society (NCS) superseded the communication unit of the Indian Brotherhood of the Northwest Territories (IB-NWT). The communication unit was managed by Brian Thompson who was hired as a consultant by IB-NWT president James Wah-shee. The IB-NWT’s communications unit created the Native Press in 1971 as a newspaper dedicated to examining issues related to the western Northwest Territories from an Indigenous perspective. It superseded the publication of the Brotherhood Report that had been published by the IB-NWT in 1969. Owing to its perceived political affiliation with the IB-NWT, the Brotherhood Report’s name was changed to Native Press in 1971. The newspaper evolved into a bi-monthly publication covering political and land developments, community news, legends, and human-interest stores in the western Northwest Territories. In February 1990, the Secretary of State cut core funding to the NCS and ended the Native Communications Program in Canada. To become more competitive and increase its revenue stream, beginning in June 1990, the Native Press became a weekly newspaper. NCS board of directors approved the sale of Native Press to DM Communications Limited – a company owned by NCS - in the fall of 1990. Hoping to attract new funding and increase its audience, DM Communications changed the newspaper’s name from Native Press to The Press Independent in November 1990. The Press Independent ran into financial difficulties in December 1992 when the Secretary of State again cut funding to the NCS. In March 1993, staff of The Press Independent proposed a buyout to the NCS board but it was not approved. The Press Independent announced on March 19, 1993 an Agreement in Principle was in place to transfer ownership of the paper to Vi Beck of Type Unlimited. The archives of the Native Press, which included over 200,000 photographs and a full set of newspapers, was kept by the NCS. To protect the name Native Press, Dorothy Chocolate and Lee Selleck registered the name with the Government of the Northwest Territories. On April 28, 1993 The Press Independent became The Northern Star, which ceased publication in 1994. The Native Press returned briefly in fall 1996 as a renewed effort between NCS and the Dene Nation.
The idea for the Native Communications Society of the Western Northwest Territories was conceived in February 1974. The IB-NWT communications unit was notified by the Secretary of State of its ineligibility for funding due to its status as a branch of a political organization. The IB-NWT brought together members from the Committee for Original People’s Entitlement, Tree of Peace, and the Metis Association of the N.W.T. to form the NCS. In August 1974 an interim board of directors was selected and the first NCS Annual General Assembly was held in Fort Providence in May 1976. In 1982, Dene Nation formed the Dehcho Gonde Communications Society. At a Dene Nation Assembly in Fort Simpson, a proposal was put forth to merge NCS and Dehcho Gonde Communications Society. At the NCS’s Annual General Assembly in October 1982 the merger was not approved. In 1983, the NCS announced that the amalgamation was unfeasible as the Dehcho Gonde Communications Society was a political entity and risked losing its federal funding.
The Native Communications Society’s early administrative structure from 1975-1982 was composed of a six-member board of directors, an executive and assistant director, and one delegate from a list of 32 communities in the western Northwest Territories. The NCS had three production departments consisting of a video department, newspaper (Native Press), and a radio department. Owing to financial limitations, Native Press remained the sole fully operational department from 1975-1982. In preparation for its radio department, the NCS began a three-year training program for its radio broadcasters in 1982. By December 1985, construction began on the radio studio and in January 1986 the radio station broadcasted to 12 communities from Yellowknife at 101.9 FM. The official opening of the NCS radio station CKNM-FM took place during the NCS General Assembly in late 1986. In 1990, the NCS moved into the new NWT Communications Centre with a television and radio studio. The newspaper department closed with the sale of The Press Independent to Vi Beck of Type Unlimited in April 1993. The newspaper department briefly returned in 1996 but was subsequently shut down. The NCS continues to operate today and manages NCS Productions Ltd. and CKLB Radio.
Since 1975, the executive directors and CEOs of the Native Communications Society have included Mike Canadian, Raymond Yakeleya, Margaret Cook, Cheeko Desjarlais, Nancy Austin, Barry Ward, Bren Kolson, Dorothy Cumming, J.C. Catholique, Marine Devine, Barry Zellen, Les Carpenter, and Rob Ouellette.
A former Native Press staffer, Roy Dahl printed a few issues in 2009. Roy Dahl with his son Zach Dahl acquired the name and business license in 2017 and began to print monthly issues of the Native Press.