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The Arctic Public Legal Education and Information Society (Arctic PLEI) was established in 1987. It was a non-government organization formed to assist people of the Northwest Territories to become more aware of the law and the legal system, and how to use it more effectively. The organization's programs aimed to reduce and prevent legal problems, increase people's knowledge about the law, the legal process and the justice system and encourage people to protect their rights by understanding the laws that affect them in their everyday lives in areas such as social services, assault, theft and labour. Arctic PLEI provided the public with an opportunity to access free legal advice by coordinating a toll free phone line, produced printed information (in English and Inuktitut) about the law aimed at the general public, produced videos and audio cassettes for use by schools and community groups, visited schools and community groups and held workshops on law-related topics based on needs identified by communities. Workshops were hosted on such topics as family violence, court procedures, women's rights and youth and the law. The organization formerly dissolved in 1996.

John U. Bayly was born on April 20, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario. He has enjoyed a long and varied career in the North and worked as both a Crown Attorney and private counsel in the communities of Kuujjuarapik or Great Whale River (Quebec), Rankin Inlet, Inuvik and Yellowknife. He was the founding partner of what later became Bayly Williams where he practiced between 1983-2000. Between 1984 and May 1985, Mr. Bayly chaired the NWT government's Task Force on Spousal Assault. Between 1981-1987, he served as Counsel and Negotiator for the Dene/Metis Land Claim Agreement-in-Principle. He served as the first Executive Director for the Legal Services Board of the NWT and was responsible for the delivery of legal aid public legal education and services throughout the NWT. In 1990, John U. Bayly was retained as Inquiry Counsel for a Judicial Inquiry into the conduct of Judge R.M. Bourassa (the Bourassa Inquiry). The inquiry was established following public outcry to remarks attributed to Judge Bourassa in a 1989 Edmonton Journal article suggesting that sexual assault among northern natives was less violent than in the south. Mr. Bayly was also a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Public Complaints Commission for 12 years and he has represented a variety of aboriginal peoples organizations, including the Dene Nation, Committee for Original People's Entitlement (COPE), Inuit Tapirisat and Nunavut Tungavik Incorporated (NTI). Before there was a Law Society of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Bayly was the president of the NWT Bar Association for two years. He has been an active member of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories since 1978 and for 21 years he was the Chairman of its Discipline Committee. He is also a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Law Society of Nunavut, the Canadian Bar Association and a director of the International Commission on Folk Law and Legal Pluralism. He is a past chairman of the Denendeh Conservation Board (1988-1991), a past member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (1988-1991) and the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee (1986-1989). Mr. Bayly served for seven years as the Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of the Arctic. In March 2000, he was appointed to the position of Principal Secretary for the Government of the Northwest Territories. John Bayly died in Yellowknife February 17, 2004.

The first Boy Scout troop in the NWT was founded in Hay River in 1916. The movement grew slowly at first but gathered strength in the late 1950s and 1960s. Beginning in 1963, the national council's Committee for Arctic and Northern Scouting was responsible for getting new groups established and planning large projects, while provincial councils in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec provided day-to-day guidance and support to Scout groups in the NWT.

Toward the end of the 1960s, the Arctic and Northern Committee decided that Scout groups in the NWT should be served by a council within the NWT, due to increased east-west communications within the NWT as well as a feeling that a northern-based administrative body would better understand and support northern groups. In 1971, the new Northwest Territories Council was chartered. This Council reported directly to the national council, on a level with the provincial councils.

The NWT Council was responsible for overall strategic planning and coordination for Scouting in the NWT. The Council coordinated the registration of members, forwarding national membership fees and registration numbers to the National Council. It organized three NWT Jamborees and other territorial events, programs, and initiatives, as well as providing advice and oversight for regional and local events. The NWT Council produced a number of publications, including the Boreas newsletter aimed at Scouters in the NWT, as well as newsletters and annual reports discussing the activities of the NWT Council itself. The Council also operated two Scout shops in Iqaluit (then Frobisher Bay) and Yellowknife, from which groups could order badges, uniforms, and equipment.

The NWT Council initially divided the territory into five regions: Mackenzie, Great Slave Lake, Arctic, Baffin, and Keewatin. A sixth region, the Yellowknife Region, was added in 1978 and remained until 1996, when it was changed to the Yellowknife District. Between 1995 and 1999 all the regional councils became inactive, so support to groups was provided directly by the NWT Council. With the creation of Nunavut in 1999, the Council changed its name to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Council and continued to provide support for groups in both territories.

In 2003, due to logistical issues and declining membership, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Council was dissolved. Scout groups in the NWT became part of the Northern Lights Council in northern Alberta, while those in Nunavut joined the Voyageur Council in northern Ontario.

The Yellowknife Branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was organized in October 1945 and held their first regular meeting at the Negus Mine in November of the same year. The J. G. McNiven was the founding Chairman, with J. D. Bateman as Vice Chair, Dr. Neil Campbell as Secretary-Treasurer, and W. J. Tought, H. C. Giegerich, and W. J. Hacker also on the operating committee. The other charter members included J. C. Kingston, H. B. Denis, A. K. Muir, J. M. Wilson, C. E. Anderson, and John Anderson-Thomson. The Branch also established a Safety Committee to promote mine safety and a Legislative Committee to examine NWT Legislation and suggest amendments. The Branch held monthly meetings, usually with a presentation component. They also ran an annual prospector’s course with instructors drawn from their membership and Yellowknife geological professionals, held an annual social ball, and participated in special events, including hosting a visit from the Governor General in 1947.

The Canadian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy was established as the Canadian Mining Institute in 1898 by an Act of Parliament. Their name changed in 1920 to Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and, more recently, in 1990 to Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. The Yellowknife Branch is still active.

The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) is a national non-governmental organization founded in 1976 as a response to International Women's Year. CRIAW is committed to advancing the position of women in society, to encouraging research about the reality of women's lives and to affirming the diversity of women's experiences. CRIAW provides the following: publication of women-centered research; sponsoring an annual scholarship in women's history; sponsoring a national theme conference every two years in a different part of the country; recognition of feminist scholars through a program of prizes and awards; operation of a resource center; and provision of a tri-annual Newsletter to members. CRIAW is a bilingual membership-based organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors elected from each province and territory. Members include independent researchers, students, academics, policy-makers, journalists, community activists and women's centers. CRIAW receives funding from the Women's Program and Status of Women Canada. Additional funding is derived from memberships, sale of publications, research contracts and from donations. The organization is a registered charity. In 1989, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) held their 13th annual conference in Yellowknife. This was their first northern conference, and the theme of the conference was "Making Connections." Speakers from across Canada participated in the conference, however many of the speakers and participants were from the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Many of the sessions focused on northern issues including daycare in the north, traditional healing methods, Inuit midwifery and educational opportunities in the north.

The Daughters of the Midnight Sun was established on November 11, 1938 to fill the needs of a social club for women in Yellowknife. The first President was Mrs. Ivor Johnson. The organization was involved in fund-raising activities in Yellowknife and raised funds for the Red Cross, the supply of a hospital ward, playground equipment and library at the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital. It also raised funds to provide Christmas hampers to be distributed to communities outside Yellowknife each year. It raised money by sponsoring dances, Christmas parties and publishing cookbooks. The society began to wind down in 1985, and ceased to exist in 1987.

The Federated Women's Institute of Canada was founded in 1919 and was designed to discover, stimulate, and develop leadership among women. It aimed to give a voice to women in rural communities about their concerns. Gladys Vear was appointed as a field worker in the Mackenzie District for the Northern Canada Women's Institute in 1968.

Ben Hall was born in Birmingham, England, in 1918 and married Nancy Pratt in 1951. They immigrated to Ontario in 1957 and Ben joined the seminary that same year and became an Anglican priest. In 1963 he accepted a call from the Bishop of the Arctic and moved to Hay River, NWT. During Ben Hall's time in Hay River (1963-1970) he ministered to the residents of Hay River, Fort Providence, and Pine Point. He was very involved in Boy Scouts in the North as well. Ben left the NWT in 1970, and he passed away in 2009 in Grande Prairie, AB.

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 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.

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 NWT Mining Heritage Society formed in February 2000 as the Giant Mine Heritage Group when concerned individuals from the Yellowknife community, government agencies, Spirit YK and the NWT Chamber of Mines joined together to formulate a plan for saving the history and artifacts of Giant Mine after the mine ceased operations in 1999. During the summer of 2000, a comprehensive inventory of the Giant Mine property was compiled and was approved by Miramar Mining one year later. The Giant Mine Heritage Group reformed in the summer of 2001 and changed their name to the NWT Mining Heritage Group to better reflect their objective of creating a museum or interpretive centre for mining in the Northwest Territories on the Giant Mine property. During 2001-2002, work proceeded in preparation for repairing buildings at Giant Mine. A cost assessment report by Ann Peters was completed early in 2001, which reported on the cost to rehabilitate the structures for public access. The group also hired engineer, Phil Nolan, of Structural All Limited, to report on how the buildings and equipment at the mine site could be repaired. Between 2000-2002, the group also acquired mining artifacts from abandoned mines throughout the NWT and by donation. In July 2002, the NWT Mining Heritage Group formed a registered society, the NWT Mining Heritage Society. The first annual general meeting was held September 25th, 2002 where the first Board of Directors was elected.

OutNorth was a non-profit organisation that aimed to provide support, awareness and advocacy for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community in Yellowknife.

In May 1997, OutNorth was registered under the Societies Act and held its first Board Meeting. Initial board members included Zoe Raemer, Andrea Markowski, Melissa Cousins, Heather Hay, and Nadine Scott. The volunteer-run group did not receive government funding, but raised funds privately, typically through silent auctions and membership fees. The group grew from about 35 members in 1997 to 60 in 1999.

The organization’s original mandate included the following objectives:
a) to offer philanthropic support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered community of Yellowknife;
b) to educate its own membership regarding issues of particular interest to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered persons in Yellowknife;
c) to educate regarding the existence, positive contributions, of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered persons in Yellowknife;
d) to educate the public regarding homosexuality for the purpose of public enlightenment and acceptance of a diversely populated Yellowknife;
e) to organize and participate in social, artistic, literary and sporting events of interest to the Society's membership

OutNorth operated an information phone line, offered educational outreach with public schools and other organisations, and coordinated social events including Yellowknife Pride, Valentines parties, Halloween parties, movie nights, BBQs, potluck suppers, and glow bowling. In 1998, OutNorth successfully requested that Yellowknife City Council proclaim an official Gay Pride Day. (Other groups and individuals had requested this, unsuccessfully, in previous years)

One of the group's main activities was lobbying the Government of the Northwest Territories for family law revisions. Following changes to the NWT Adoption Act, Family Law Act, and Human Rights Legislation in the Northwest Territories, in the mid-2000s (ca. 2005-2007) the group reduced its activities and transferred its funds to It Gets Better Yellowknife, which became the Rainbow Coalition (now the Northern Mosaic Network).

John Havelock Parker was born February 2, 1929 in Didsbury, Alberta. He graduated from the University of Alberta Engineering Geology programme in 1951 and came north in 1954 to work for Norm Byrne in the mining business, eventually becoming manager of the Rayrock Mine. He married Helen Panabaker and the couple had two children, Sharon and Gordon. In 1959 he was elected Councillor, Town of Yellowknife and served for five years before successfully running for Mayor in 1964. During the period as mayor, then a part-time position, Mr. Parker was also employed as the President of Precambrian Mining Services Ltd. In 1967 Mr. Parker became a Member of the Northwest Territories Council and was appointed Deputy Commissioner to Commissioner Stuart M. Hodgson on March 2, 1967. At this time, the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner positions held cabinet portfolios like their colleagues on the Executive Council. Beginning in 1975, the Executive Council made changes to allow for the addition of elected members. Up to that time the Executive Council was comprised of appointed members. As then Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Parker stopped sitting with the Executive. By 1979, the majority of Council members were elected. John Parker was appointed Commissioner of the Northwest Territories on April 15, 1979. Now that a fully-elected Executive Council was in power, the Commissioner ceased to sit with the (now) Legislative Assembly during formal sessions. In 1981, the Commissioner ceased to join discussion during the Committee of the Whole. In 1986 the Commissioner’s role had been reduced further. He stopped chairing the Executive Committee meetings and was no longer the head of the Department of Personnel. Newly-named Government Leader Nick Sibbeston then became the Chair of the Executive Committee. Also in 1986, Mr. Parker was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his “significant contributions to the evolution and development both of the municipal government of Yellowknife and of the territorial government”. Mr. Parker is also a member of the Aboriginal Order of Canada. By 1989, when Mr. Parker stepped down, the Commissioner had a greatly reduced role in the day to day high-level decision making of government. Mr. Parker continued to serve on the boards of several northern corporations and was a member of a number of associations. These include the NWT Power Corporation, Conference Board of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Evaz Group, and Aber Diamonds. He was Chairman of the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories, Past President and Patron of the NWT Boy Scout Council, a Director of the Arctic Institute of North America, Chairman of the Northwest Territories Coordinating Committee, and a member of the Council of Trustees, The Institute for Research on Public Policy.