Nicholas (Nick) George Sibbeston was born in Fort Simpson on November 21, 1943. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, he returned to Fort Simpson as the hamlet secretary-manager. From 1970-1974, he was a member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly after which he attended law school at the University of Alberta. He completed his degree in 1975 becoming the first northern lawyer born in the Northwest Territories. Nick Sibbeston was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1979 and he served in a number of portfolios including Government Leader (1985-1987), Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Culture and Communications (1986-1987), Aboriginal Rights and Constitutional Development (1984-1987), Intergovernmental Affairs (1985-1987), Local Government (1984-1985) and the Northwest Territories Science Institute (1987-1988). He was also chairman of the Western Constitutional Forum, the group negotiating for the new western territory to be created upon the division of the Northwest Territories in 1999. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly in 1991 in order to continue his law practice.
Ryan Alfred Silke was born October 20th 1982, at Yellowknife, N.W.T., the son of Alf and Sarah Silke. Alf Silke worked at Con Mine as a geologist between 1978 and 2003. In 1998, Ryan began extensive research on the history of mining in the Yellowknife area and the N.W.T. In 1999, Ryan designed a webpage which was sought after by the Federal Government's DIAND Geology Department and later published as a written report. In 2000, Ryan was awarded the City of Yellowknife Heritage Award for this work. While finishing high school, Ryan began working with what would become the NWT Mining Heritage Group to help promote the preservation of mining artifacts from Giant Mine. He has also worked at BHP Billiton's Ekati diamond mine. Ryan has continued to research and collect data while documenting old camps and mine sites, in the aim to help the Heritage Society achieve its goal of a Mining Museum for the NWT. He studied at Augustana University College in Camrose, Alberta, studying history and geography. Currently Ryan Silke works in the Collections section at the Prince of Wales Northern Hertiage Centre.
Hilah Lende Simmons was born in 1935. She married Norm Simmons in 1958, and they eventually had four children. The family lived in Fort Smith from 1966 to 1975 and in Yellowknife from 1975 to 1982. During this time they frequently visited the Mackenzie Mountains, where Norm studied Dall's sheep and woodland caribou as part of his work for the wildlife service. Hilah co-authored a report on vascular plants of the Mackenzie Mountains barrens, which was published in 1982. In that same year the family moved to a ranch near Pincher Creek, Alberta to raise organic beef cattle.
Dr. Norman Simmons was born in 1934 in the present Republic of the Philippines. He lived there until World War II, when he, his mother and brother moved to California. His father spent the war years in Japanese internment camps in the Philippines. The family reunited in the Philippines after the war, and Norman continued his schooling there until graduation from high school in 1952. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration in California. After graduation in 1956, he served in the U. S. Army Ordinance Corps in the Republic of Korea. He spent much of his time there touring the country with the Army’s blessing shooting Korean archery in local, regional, and national competitions. In 1958, he returned to California and married Hilah Lende, whom he had met two years earlier. He then obtained his MSc degree in wildlife biology at Colorado State University. In 1961, he began working for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as manager of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona. There he conducted his PhD field research on desert bighorn sheep with the University of Arizona. He obtained his Doctorate in 1969. By then, he and his family, increased by children Deborah and David, were living in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. He had responded to an advertisement in a professional journal offering travel and wilderness adventure. He worked for the Canadian Wildlife Service in the Mackenzie Mountains, conducting research on Dall’s sheep and woodland caribou with Mountain Dene people, and designing a sport hunting management program for these species for the Northwest Territories (NWT) Wildlife Service. He also advised the NWT Wildlife Service on management of muskoxen on Banks Island. In 1975, he and his family moved to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, where he accepted the position of Director of the NWT Wildlife Service. The Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names often used Simmons as a contact to determine local place names in the Mackenzie Mountains. In 1982, Simmons, then Assistant Deputy Minister of the NWT Department of Renewable Resources, left with his family, now increased by two more children, Daniel and Sarah, to move to a ranch he had purchased in 1975 west of Pincher Creek, southwest Alberta. Simmons raised internationally-certified organic beef cattle as a founding member of Producers of the Diamond Willow Range. He was also a founding member of the Alberta Land Trust Society and the Waterton Biosphere Reserve. As a volunteer he worked with indigenous peoples in Bolivia, Taiwan, Tibet and Panama. He brought his family to Peru for two years, establishing a research program at the University of La Molina. He returned to Peru regularly every year to continue his work with conservation education for about 25 years. Norm Simmons passed away May 24, 2016.
The provision of western education in Inuvik began immediately during the community’s construction, with a temporary Federal school in 1956. Several of the attending children came from Aklavik, from where community government officials were strongly encouraging families to relocate. In 1959 a large new regional school opened, officially named Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (SAMS) in 1961. This school housed all grades until Samuel Hearne Secondary School was built in 1966. By that time SAMS had 38 classrooms and capacity for 890 students from grades 1 to 12.
In 1969 all educational facilities in Inuvik were transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories, who assumed responsibilities for education from the federal government. The Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council was established in 1989 to administer regional schools.
In addition to residents of the town of Inuvik, the student body at SAMS for much of its history also included residential school students brought from communities across the Beaufort Delta region and the Arctic to stay at the two major Federal hostels, Stringer Hall (which closed in 1975) and Grollier Hall (which closed in 1996).
SAMS continued to operate as an elementary school until 2012, when it was replaced by the new East Three Elementary School. The SAMS building was demolished in May 2014.
On September 29, 1958 the Yellowknife Vocational Training and High School (also known as the Yellowknife Composite High School) was officially opened. In was operated under the auspices of the federal Department of Native Affairs and National Resources, which was responsible for education in the Northwest Territories. The school's first principal was Jack Black and the first Vice Principal was Dave Wattie. There were approximately 200 students in attendance, Dene and Inuit students from communities across the Northwest Territories, as well as local Yellowknife students. The school offered three basic programs: Matriculation, Vocational and Opportunity (or upgrading) classes. Due to public dissatisfaction regarding the school's unwieldy name, a contest was held in 1959 to select a new name for the school and 'Sir John Franklin High School' was the winning entry. With the transfer of responsibility for education to the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1967, the name was amended to Sir John Franklin Territorial High School, although this addition has since been dropped. The school underwent a large renovation and upgrade in 2000, marked by a grand opening celebration on November 9th of that year.
Ben (Bent Gestur) Sivertz was born in Victoria, B.C. in 1905 to Christian and Eliborg Samuelsdottir, both Icelanders. During his childhood, he spent a great deal of time at sea. He graduated from the University of British Columbia after which he taught at schools on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver. During World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and was appointed as officer in charge of the Navigation School. In 1945 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Military). Following the war he moved to Ottawa as a foreign service officer with the Department of External Affairs. In 1950, he was transferred to the Department of Resources and Development (later Northern Affairs and National Development). In 1954, he was appointed chief of the new Arctic Division. He succeeded F.J.G. Cunningham as Director of the Northern Administration Branch in 1957 and became Commissioner of the Northwest Territories on July 10, 1963; a post he held until 1967. He retired to Victoria, British Columbia.
Walter Slipchenko was born in Winnipeg in 1934 to Ivan and Olga Slipchenko. After being raised in Winnipeg, he furthered his education at the Canadian Military College at Royal Roads, Victoria, British Columbia and Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, becoming an officer in the Royal Canadian Engineers. He later left the military, completing a Masters of Arts at the University of Manitoba in 1966. He then joined the federal civil service, being employed by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) from 1966 to 1988, in their Northern Coordination Research Group and Northern Science Research Group. In 1971, Walter was part of the Jean Chretien (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development) delegation to the USSR. Several agreements came out of this visit and succeeding visits, while Walter was secretary and coordinator of the Canada-USSR Arctic Sciences Programme. Finally, Walter founded the Circumpolar Affairs Division of DIAND, becoming its Chief. From the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, Walter also lectured at Carleton University in the Geography Department, held positions on several advisory boards, and researched the socio-economic and technical development of the northern USSR. From 1988 to 1992, Walter served in the GNWT as Director of Circumpolar Affairs. While he was in this role, the GNWT signed two international agreements of note: “A Programme of Cooperation” with the Home Rule Government of Greenland and a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in support of a joint venture to build a $26 million village. In 1991, Walter was honoured for his work, receiving the Gold Medal Award from the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Walter also assisted in the creation of the Canadian office of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, brought indigenous Russian participation in the Arctic Winter Games, and aided in the institution of several cooperative arrangements between circumpolar countries. From 1992 to 2000, Walter worked as a consultant, becoming involved with the establishment of the Arctic Council, the Northern Management Project for the Government of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Institution Building for Northern Russian Indigenous Peoples’ Project. In 1997-98, he was Executive Director of the Arctic Council Secretariat and in 1998-99, chaired the Advisory Committee on the Humanitarian Assistance Project to Northern Russia, Phase I. Walter was married to Olga Sheremeta and the couple had one son, Andrew. Walter Slipchenko passed away in July 2016, at the age of 82.
Horace Herbert (Mac) Smee was born on April 22, 1922 in Edmonton, Alberta. He married Joan Eilleen Smee (also of Edmonton) in Fairview, Alberta. They had two sons, Barry Smee and Martin Smee.
In 1941, he began working for the Northern Transportation Company as a chief steward and was sent to the Northwest Territories. His first job was to paint the S.S. "Mackenzie River" in Fort Smith, which he then rode up the Mackenzie River as far as the Mackenzie Delta. On his return to Fort Smith, he was transferred to the S.S. "Distributor" and made two trips on this vessel. The first trip he acted as steward to Margaret White. After his service with the Northern Transportation Company, he returned to Edmonton and joined the Air Force, which he left in 1943.
The Smees moved to Prince George, British Columbia, where Mac Smee operated two independent theatres, before moving to Vancouver in 1947. In Vancouver, Smee managed movie theatres including the Strand, Orpheum, Victoria Road Theatre, and the Regent. He served as the Secretary of the Famous Players Theatre Managers Association of BC.
Around 1954, the Smees moved back to Edmonton. Mac Smee joined the Hudson Bay Company, where he worked until retiring in 1982. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Mac, Joan and Martin Smee operated a family business, The Plate Connection, an award-winning collectors’ plate and doll supplier.
Smee died on August 6th, 1995 in Edmonton.
In 1991, the Snare Lake Education Committee formed a subcommittee to develop cultural programming for the children. The Committee wanted to interview elders and record the procedures of seasonal activity for both the men and women of Snare Lake. The photographs and interviews would then be used to develop in Dogrib and English a handbook on seasonal activities. One of the primary aims of the project and the handbook was to "promote, enhance and maintain the Dogrib language." The Education Committee successfully applied to the Government of the Northwest Territories' Cultural Affairs Program for funding to assist the Committee in completing the project.
Arthur Henry Sovereign was born in Woodstock, Ontario on September 6, 1881. He is the son of Freeman Henry Sovereign and Helen Delia Shaver; United Empire Loyalists. He graduated from Woodstock Collegiate and won the John Hopkins Oratorical Medal while there. In 1903, Bishop Sovereign began his education for priesthood at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto (U of T). He graduated with First Class Honours in 1905 while winning the John MacDonald scholarship in Philosophy. In 1906 he graduated with a Master of Arts from U of T with honours. He also received a Licentiate in Theology with First Class Honours and a Doctorate of Divinity (DD) from Wycliffe College, a Bachelor of Divinity from the General Synod of the Church of England in Canada, and a DD from Emmanuel College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. While attending school, Bishop Sovereign played on the college football, hockey, and baseball teams, and also participated in debates at Osgoode Hall. In 1913 he obtained a post-graduate degree in Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University in England.
Bishop Sovereign began his ministry in 1906 in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) as an assistant to Rev. C.C. Owen at Christ Church and was ordained a deacon. A year later, Bishop Sovereign was ordained a priest at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster. In 1910 he was appointed first rector of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Kitsilano and stayed there for 22 years. He was then appointed Bishop of Yukon (YT) in 1931 and moved to Dawson City, YT. The following year, he was appointed Bishop of Athabasca and moved to Peace River, Alberta (AB) serving the Athabascan region which covers 600,000 square miles consisting of Northwest Territories and northern AB. As Bishop of Athabasca, Bishop Sovereign travelled throughout the region supervising and developing churches, parish halls, and mission cottages until his retirement in 1950 in Vernon, BC. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Sovereign travelled to England on missions to better serve and support the Diocese of Athabasca and other Missionaries. He also preached at both St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminister Abbey.
In 1912 Bishop Sovereign met Ellen Ellison, the eldest daughter of Honourable Price Ellison at an Alpine Club outing. They married in 1913 and had three daughters and one son: Ellen “Ellie,” Elizabeth “Beth,” Mary, and Arthur “Art” Sovereign.
Bishop Sovereign loved helping others and this showed in his humanitarian efforts. While at St. Mark's, he founded and directed a youth camp on Howe Sound inspiring youth to become active citizens and leaders. He also was vice-president of the Children’s Aid Society and president of the BC branch of the Royal Lifesaving Society. He was chairman of the Adoption Committee and founder of the BC Playground movement. In 1932 he founded the John Howard Society and served as the first president of the BC branch. He was also chairman of the Juvenile Court. In 1947 he helped found the John Howard Society of Alberta. Bishop Sovereign was also a member of the senate of University of British Columbia and the executive of the Vancouver Health League.
Bishop Sovereign loved mountains and was part of the original group that petitioned the government to preserve Garibaldi Park in BC. He was a member of the BC Mountaineering Club, the Alpine Club of Canada, and the Mountain Climbers’ Safety Club. He also was chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Silver Star Park. As a key force in establishing Silver Star Park for outdoor recreation, Vernon Lake on the top of Silver Star Mountain was later renamed Sovereign Lake and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre was created in honour of Bishop Sovereign's legacy.
Additionally, in Vernon, BC, Bishop Sovereign helped organized the school for special needs children, the Vernon Golden Age Club, and was chairman of the library program in Vernon. He also helped found the Vernon Toastmasters' Club. He stepped in as rector at Vernon’s All Saints' Anglican Parish until an official rector was replaced. For the All Saints' Jubilee year, he wrote a book called, "A Tree Grows in Vernon; the History of All Saints' Parish, Vernon, BC." In 1957, Bishop Sovereign was named Vernon’s Good Citizen of the Year. A few days before his passing, Bishop Sovereign received the John Howard Society of Ontario medal for his outstanding humanitarian service.
During the First World War, Bishop Sovereign went oversees to work with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Khaki University. He also became a chaplain for many army units. Years later, Bishop Sovereign served as a senior chaplain for the Royal Canadian Legion until just before his passing in 1966 at age 85. Upon his passing, Bishop Sovereign was considered to be Canada's bishop of longest standing.
The Sport North Federation was incorporated under the Northwest Territories Society ordinance in 1976, to serve as a unifying body for all sports associations in the Northwest Territories. Its purpose is to administer and help raise funds for territorial involvement in the Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games and the Canada Games for the Disabled, as well as to promote amateur sport in the Northwest Territories. The member associations appoint its board of directors and the directors then elect a volunteer executive that is responsible for Sport North Federation operations and policies.
Sport North holds the agreement with the Sport, Recreation and Youth division of MACA (through the Sport and Recreation Council) to manage and deliver Team NWT to Arctic Winter Games. Through this agreement, Sport North coordinates the athlete selection process to create Team NWT, and coordinates Team NWT in getting to and participating in AWG.
Irene M. Spry (nee Biss) was born in South Africa. She graduated from Cambridge with a degree in economics and political science and did her post-graduate work in social economics at Bryn Mawr. In 1935, she traveled to the north to study electrical development. Her travels took her to Cameron Bay on Great Bear Lake, Aklavik, Fort Yukon, Dawson City and down the coast to Vancouver. She lectured in economics at the University of Toronto and retired in Ottawa, Ontario.
The first Anglican clergyman to arrive in Fort Simpson, Archdeacon James Hunter, established St. David's Anglican Mission in Fort Simpson in 1848. Hunter laid the groundwork to have a mission house built; however, he left Fort Simpson in June 1859. His successor, Reverend William West Kirkby was instrumental in building the church and mission house, as well as a school. The first St. David's Church officially opened at Easter 1861. When the Reverend William Carpenter Bompas was made the first Bishop of Athabasca in 1874, he chose Fort Simpson as his headquarters and St. David's Church became a Cathedral. Bishop Bompas and his wife shared it with the Reverend that succeeded Kirkby, William Day Reeve. When the Athabasca region was divided again, Reeve became the Diocese of Mackenzie River and Bompas moved to the Yukon. The old mission house was destroyed by fire during the winter of 1895-1896 and everything was lost. The second mission house still stands on the bank of the Mackenzie. The original St. David's Church was torn down and a new chuch was built between 1923-1927.
The Northwest Territories Council of St. John Ambulance (Order of St. John) formed in 1972 with Air Marshall Hugh Campbell as the founding President. The Order of St. John has its origin in the Orders of Chivalry dating back to the first Crusade in 1099. St. John Ambulance, through a brigade of volunteers and a small permanent staff provides emergency first aid services at public gatherings and instruction in such courses as First Aid, CPR, Home Nursing and Child Care. The 1976 Northwest Territories Council of St. John Ambulance included Robert (Bob) S. Pilot as President and Michael J. Hewitt as the Executive Director. In 1977, the Council acquired its own building, "St. John House" in Yellowknife.
The Society was run in conjunction with the drama program at St. Pats alongside members of the community.
Bill Stewart was born on June 12, 1950 in Darlington Country Durham, England. He was educated in Darlington and studied filmmaking at Teesside College of Art and subsequently did three years post-graduate study at the School of Film and Television of the Royal College of Art in London. He graduated in 1974 with a Master of Arts. In 1974, he immigrated to Canada and worked as a Film Editor for CBC in Toronto, where he worked on daily film reports of Justice Thomas Berger's Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and Dean Lysik's Alaska Pipeline Inquiry. He arrived in Yellowknife in 1978 as the Film Editor for the new CBC North Television Centre. In 1980, he left CBC and joined the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Information, where he was the Technical Production Officer. He became Manager of that Audio-Visual Unit in 1981 and in 1983, coordinated the Dene Video Information Project. He participated in the filming of the 1981 "Last Mooseskin Boat Project." The project, jointly sponsored by the Native Communications Society of the Western NWT, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, and the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Information, involved the building of a mooseskin boat by the Mountain Dene and the documentation of this process. He left the Department of Information in 1988 and moved to Edmonton where he joined the Government of Alberta as the Film and Video Consultant for Alberta Culture.
Sandy Stewart was a prospector who worked in northern Alberta and the Yellowknife area between 1936 and 1943. He moved to Yellowknife in 1939 with his wife Hazel and lived on Latham Island. Roy Stewart, son of Hazel and Sandy was born while they were living in Yellowknife. Sandy Stewart was one of the men to discover gold on Norite Bay, Lake Athabasca in January 1937.
Emily Irene Stillwell was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. She received her Nursing Diploma from Regina (Saskatchewan registration) and her PHN Diploma from the University of Saskatoon. Emily’s interest in Canada’s north, its people, sense of adventure and patriotism motivated her to want to work and experience Northern Canada. She moved to the Yukon Territory in 1955 and then relocated to Aklavik in 1958. While living in Canada's north, Emily worked in Mayo (Yukon Territory), Dawson City (Yukon Territory), Aklavik, Inuvik and Yellowknife. After the All Saints Anglican Hospital in Aklavik closed and the patients were moved to the Inuvik General Hospital she worked in Inuvik before moving to Edmonton. Due to a staffing shortage in 1964 at Northern Health Services in Yellowknife, she was asked if she would assist there for a time. She spent a two months in Yellowknife before returning to her duties at the Charles Camsell Hospital.
After retiring at age 55, Emily lived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan for many years, and passed away at age 91 on June 2, 2022.