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Charlotte Babicki, daughter of Joseph Anthony (JA) Babicki (1917-1997) and Phyllis Jean Lieurance (1921-2022), was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1946. Joseph was the son of Polish immigrants and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Phyllis’ family arrived in the United States in the 1600s and 1700s, mostly from England. Both Phyllis and Charlotte grew up in Topeka, Kansas. Charlotte attended Central Park Grade School, Crane Junior High School, and Topeka High School, where she was Yearbook editor.

Charlotte attended university at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1964-1968, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. She got a job at John Hancock Insurance as a trainee computer programmer (1968), then moved to a technical writing job at the Charles Stark Draper Lab (MIT) where she wrote user manuals for astronauts (1968-70). From 1970-72 she did technical writing at a division of Wang Laboratories.

Charlotte moved to Canada in 1972. After 5 months in Toronto, she found a job in Yellowknife with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Charlotte worked for the GNWT for 35 years (1973-2008). She held the same position number throughout, although her job title started as Manuals Writer and ended as Policy Advisor and she shifted divisions from Systems and Computer Services to Records Management and finally Finance and Administration. While working for the GNWT, Charlotte was member of Local 1, Union of Northern Workers and served as Chief Shop Steward and on the executive until 1991.

Charlotte attended the 1990 Literacy Conference as the Union representative, then volunteered for the Literacy Council organizing committee and wrote the by-laws. She served as the Yellowknife Regional Representative for several years, which included trips to Inuvik, Cambridge Bay, and Fort Smith for conferences. She helped to organize an annual NWT-wide writing contest, sorting the entries and editing 10 issues of Northern Writes. She also put together the 1992 publication called I Remember, which contained short memories of learning to read.

Charlotte attended an adult education class in Mysteries which broadened her appreciation of mystery authors. She also took several introductory courses in Tłı̨chǫ, where she learned to read, write, and speak a little, leading to the creation of some Tłı̨chǫ learning materials.

Charlotte also has an interest in quilting. She started in 1967 and learned from books and family examples. She joined the Yellowknife Guild in 2008 and served as a board member for a few years, during which time she wrote the newsletter, managed the guild’s library, and re-wrote the bylaws in plain language.

Charlotte wrote several publications in the course of her employment with the GNWT, including Project Information Books (NWT Alcohol and Drug Offices, 1984), Turning Work into Words: How to Write a Government Manual (GNWT Government Services, 1987), and Plain Words & Sentences (GNWT Public Works and Services, 2002). Since her retirement, she has written several genealogy booklets including Una’s Wedding, 24 November 1886 (2010), Letters from Marsha, 1968-1979 (2015), and From Allen to Wyandotte: My Kansas County Project (2021).

Norman W. Byrne was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on February 17, 1912. Although he had first travelled to the NWT with his father, who was a prospector, and his brother Jerry in 1932, he returned to McGill to complete his studies. In 1936 after graduating from McGill University with a degree in Mining Engineering, he moved to Gold Fields (Uranium City) and later to Outpost Island where he worked as a Mine Engineer. In 1940, with the closure of the mine at Outpost Island, Byrne moved to Whitehorse where he worked on the Canol Pipeline. In 1945 Byrne moved to Yellowknife and was asked to survey the Discovery claims. Byrne was so impressed with the claim that he, along with his father and brother, purchased it. Mining work then began at the Discovery Mines Limited property and on February 10, 1950 the first gold brick was poured. After the first 17 years of operation, over $35 million had been extracted from the Discovery Mines Limited claim.

Despite Byrne's involvement with the Discovery claims, he continued to work as a consultant
Mining Engineer. He was also involved in developing Rayrock Mines Limited, Northland Mines Limited and Tundra Mines Limited. In 1964 Byrne began a second career as a real estate developer in Yellowknife and his company constructed many houses and apartment buildings in the town. He was a strong supporter of the lobby group working to have the capital city of the NWT established at Yellowknife rather than at Fort Smith. He was also actively involved in many community organisations in Yellowknife and was a vocal advocate of the establishment of a separate Catholic school system in the community.
He was the chairman of the Separate School Board from its inception in 1951 until his death on November 14, 1973.

From 1905 to 1967, the administration of the Northwest Territories was the responsibility of several different federal departments. From 1922 to 1953, various versions of the Northwest Territories and Yukon Branch were administered by the Department of the Interior (1922-1936) and the Department of Mines and Resources (1937-1953). During these years, this administration was run almost exclusively from Ottawa. In 1953, the branch concerned with the administration of the Northwest Territories, known at that time as the Northern Administration and Lands Branch, transferred to the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources. The Northern Administration and Lands Branch expanded rapidly in the 1950s and in 1959 it was renamed the Northern Administration Branch. This coincided with a reorganization of the responsibilities handled by the Branch. The responsibility for northern affairs was divided into six divisions: 1) Territorial Division; 2) Education Division; 3) Industrial Division; 4) Welfare Division; 5) Resources Division and 6) Engineering Division. In conjunction with this reorganization, a program of decentralization of the field operations of the Northern Administration Branch was enhanced by the creation of two new regional offices. The Administrator of the Mackenzie was stationed in Fort Smith, while the Administrator of the Arctic, stationed in Ottawa, was responsible for the Districts of Keewatin and Franklin, as well as Inuit affairs in arctic Quebec. In 1966, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development supplanted the Department of Northern Affairs and Natural Resources. In 1967, Yellowknife was established as the capital of the Northwest Territories and the transfer of responsibilities from the Northern Administration Branch to the Government of the Northwest Territories began. The transfer rendered the Northern Administration Branch obsolete and during 1968, the Territorial Relations Branch replaced it.

The Circumpolar Conference on Literary was held at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife from April 10 to 12, 1990. The purpose of the conference was the promotion of literacy and the exchange of information.

Maxine Roberta Colbourne was born in Wyvern, Nova Scotia in 1934 and grew up around that area, near Oxford, Nova Scotia.

By July 1957, she had moved to Aklavik, Northwest Territories and was working at the Aklavik Federal Day School, where she taught Grade 4 during the 1957-1958 school year. In 1958 she returned to Halifax to attend a summer course and obtain her remaining credits for a permanent teaching license. That fall, she returned to Aklavik to teach Grades 4-5 at the Federal Day School for the 1958-1959 school year and became involved with the school radio station. From at least September-December 1959 she was teaching Grades 3-4 at the Aklavik Federal Day School.

She then moved to Inuvik to teach at the newly-opened Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (Inuvik Federal Day School), where she taught Grade 4 from 1960-1962, and Grade 6 from 1963-1965.

As of 1963 she became involved with the Local Association of Guides and Brownies, specifically as a Brown Owl with the second Brownie Pack. She has been remembered as an accomplished curler who also spent a lot of time dog sledding. In 1965 she travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska to attend a curling Bonspiel.

She became involved with Daniel L. Norris, who was later Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 1989-1994. Their son, Danny Lee Trevor Colbourne, was born in 1966 in Edmonton. In January 1968 she had a second son (Sean Gregory Harrison Colbourne) with A. Biggs; she continued to live in the Northwest Territories until at least that time.

In 1968, she and her two sons moved to British Columbia, where she worked at Lower Post Indian Residential School. She then taught at Lejac Residential School for several years in the early 1970s. Her sons attended school there as well. They then moved to Chetwynd, British Columbia, where they lived from about 1974-1977. While living in British Columbia, she took summer courses to upgrade her teacher’s license.

In 1977, she died of an aneurysm, and her sons went to live with her brother in Nova Scotia.

The DehCho Division Board of Education was established under the authority of the revisions to the Archives Act and the related establishment regulation in 1995. It was renamed the Dehcho Divisional Education Council (DDEC) with revisions to the regulations in 2002.

The Dehcho Divisional Education Council (DDEC) is tasked with setting policy for the operation of schools within the Dehcho region, with financial decisions and setting broad education goals for the region. Each municipality that has a school also has a District Education Authority (DEA). The DEA is responsible for the operation of the school or schools within it's municipal boundries. The DDEC works in conjunction with the District Education Authories (DEAs) to ensure that provisions of the Education Act and regulations pursuant to the Act are fulfilled. Each DEA must select a member to represent them on the Division Education Council.

The Fort Norman Federal Day School, also known as the Colin Campbell School, was constructed in 1949 or 1950 in the community now known as Tulita. It initially had two classrooms, with a third added in 1968/69. In 1969 the facility was taken over by the territorial government. Although the school ‘s enrolment consisted of children whose families lived in the community, for a brief period in 1971 there was a small hostel associated with it, to provide a temporary residence for children whose parents were out on the land. The school was replaced by the Chief Albert Wright School, which opened in 1980.

The provision of western education in Nahanni Butte began when evangelist missionaries Mr and Mrs Philip Howard began instructing children in early 1957, without the approval of the Federal government. Summer (tent) school was provided in 1957 and 1958.

A one-room school building was completed around 1959, but the opening of an official Federal Day School was delayed until 1961 due to staffing and housing issues. This school was transferred to the GNWT when it assumed responsibility for education in 1969 and was eventually given the name Charles Yohin School. The school building has been replaced twice, in 1978 and 1985, with both new buildings being constructed by the people of the community.

The Norman Wells Federal Day School opened in 1960, and was transferred to the territorial government when it assumed responsibility for education in 1969. The school was originally a one room school located on the river bank, and classes were relocated several times, operating out of portable classrooms through most of the 1970s. It was replaced by the Mackenzie Mountain School, which opened in 1983.

In 1947 the first two federally funded schools were opened in Fort McPherson and Tuktoyaktuk. In 1948, the federal school at Fort Smith opened. In that first year, there were five federal schools with approximately 103 pupils in the junior and senior high school grades. By 1958 this number jumped to 576 pupils in 52 federal schools. 1958 was also the year Breynat Hall, the residence for the high school, was established.

Galena Heights Elementary School opened in 1977, originally housing pupils from kindergarten to grade two. Galena Heights Elementary School was expanded in 1980 to host students up to grade five after a fire destroyed the other school in the town; the rebuilt Matonabbee School opened in 1981 for the senior grades. Both schools closed in June 1988 with the closure of the mine and community of Pine Point.

Gordon Robertson Education Centre (GREC) opened in 1971 as a junior and senior high school and vocational school. In addition to local students from Iqaluit, its enrolment included students from other communities who were housed in Ukkivik Hall, which opened along with GREC and closed in 1996. In the early 1990s, the school was renamed Inuksuk High School.

Beryl Lynette (Lyn) Hancock was born on January 5, 1938 in East Fremantle, Western Australia. She attended secondary school at Princess May School in Western Australia and attended the University of Western Australia between 1955-1957 where she received her diploma in Speech Arts and her Teachers' Certificate from Graylands Teachers College in 1956. She also attended the Trinity College the Royal Academy of Music in London, England where she studied Speech, Drama, Mime and Movement between 1959-1961. In 1977, she received her Teacher's certification from the British Columbia Department of Education. She also received her Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts degrees from Simon Fraser University in 1977 and 1981 respectively. Lyn Hancock moved to the Northwest Territories with her former husband David in 1972. While living in the NWT, she wrote and sold stories to newspapers and magazines such as Above and Beyond, Up Here, Northwest Explorer, Milepost, and Northern News Services; she also wrote and published several books about the North and took many photographs. In addition, Lyn worked with local tourism agencies and Government agencies to promote tourism and pass on her love of the North. She lived in Fort Simpson for seven years before leaving in 1995 with her husband Frank Schober. Lyn currently lives in British Columbia and travels extensively around the world. She has received several literary awards and is the author of over 30 books.

Mildred Josephine Young was born in Toronto in 1924. A schoolteacher, at age 20 she went to the Yukon, and later Moose Factory, Ontario and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories at the age of 23 in 1947. She left Yellowknife for Southern Ontario in 1950. She later became a school inspector (classroom consultant), living in Winisk, Ontario where she met her husband George Hubbert. Millie Hubbert travelled to Fort Good Hope in 1969. Ms. Hubbert published three books in the 1990s, "Since the Day I Was Born", about her life growing up in depression-era Toronto and "Into Canada's North: Because It Was There", recalling her adventures teaching in the North. The third book, recalling her time in Winisk, was entitled "Winisk: On the Shore of Hudson Bay". The manuscript was completed shortly before her passing in March, 1997.

The Lac La Martre Community Education Committee is a local, elected body in Wha Ti that determines school policies and directions in relation to the community on matters not directly affected by the Education Act. At the time of this project, the members of the committee were Menton Mantla (Chairman), Jimmy Rabesca, Johnny Nitsiza, Alphonse Simpson, Joe Zoe Fish, and Dora Mantla (Secretary/Treasurer).

Echo Lidster was born in 1916 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1942, she graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.A. in Agriculture. From 1942 until 1957, she worked for the federal Department of Agriculture in British Columbia. In 1957, she attended Cornell University and obtained an M.A. in Community Education and Sociology. She was awarded a Ph.D. in Adult Education in 1963. In August 1967, the Federal Government, with funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC), appointed Miss Lidster as their Housing Education Officer for the Western Arctic. Her duties entailed locating and training indigenous northerners to deliver federally designed programmes to people in the communities. These programmes related to the building of southern-style housing in the north, the upkeep and maintenance of the housing and domestic programmes designed to improve health and personal hygiene. From 1967 until 1970, Miss Lidster lived in Hay River. In 1970, she was promoted and given responsibility for delivering the Housing Education Programme throughout the Northwest Territories. In 1971, the grant from CMHC ran out; Miss Lidster was appointed Supervisor of Adult Education Programmes in the Northwest Territories and was given the responsibility for developing Adult Education Programmes in the north. Her duties entailed establishing community colleges, developing adult literacy programmes and hiring instructors to teach in the communities. She wrote a number of reports on adult education in the north and published a report "Some Aspects of Community Adult Education 1967-1985." In 1975, Miss Lidster left the north for an extended vacation. In 1976, she returned to Hay River where she worked as an Adult Educator until 1980. While living in Hay River, she was very active in community activities and helped establish the first community radio station there. In 1980, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory where she worked as an Adult Educator until 1981, at which point she retired and moved to Vancouver.

Alexander Halley Low was born March 29,1892 in Kensington, London, England, the son of Alexander Graham Low and Annie Halley. He received a Master of Arts degree from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and studied geology at the Royal School of Mines, London. He served in World War I, mostly in Ireland.

Around 1914, Alexander went on an oil prospecting trip in the Northwest Territories with Dr. T. O. Bosworth. Following the War, he returned to the Northwest Territories as an oil prospector in the Great Slave Slake region for the Imperial Oil Company. While there, he was approached by Bishop James R. Lucas to teach at the St. Peter's Mission (Residential) School in Hay River ca. 1918-19. In the early 1920s he continued oil exploration in the Fort Norman (now Tulita) area of the Northwest Territories with Mackenzie River Oil Ltd.

Alexander also did some oil prospecting in Peru and was a member of the Royal Geographical Society. He married Dorothy Lindesay Gregory in 1933 and had two children, Jean Mary Lindesay Low and Alexander John Stewart Low. Alexander Halley Low died July 2, 1974 in Ferring, Sussex, England.

Nancy Oestreich Lurie was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 29, 1924, the only child of Carl Ralph Oestreich and Rayline Danielson Oestreich. Her father served on the engineering faculty at the University of Wisconsin and also volunteered at the Milwaukee Public Museum and engendered Nancy's early interest in anthropology and museology. Lurie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and sociology from the University of Wisconsin in 1945, her Masters from the University of Chicago in 1947 and went on to receive her PhD from Northwestern University in 1952.

Lurie's fieldwork included work with the Wisconsin Winnebagos during her undergraduate studies. She focused her research on culture change and on teaching white society respect and fairness toward Aboriginal peoples, and this would persist as a theme in her professional work. The Winnebagos continued to be research partners through her career.

Lurie's doctoral work at Northwestern University from 1948-1952 compared culture change in the Wisconsin and Nebraska Winnebagos and combined ethnohistorical research with fieldwork. At Northwestern she met and then married Edward Lurie in 1951; they divorced amicably in 1963.

Between 1954-1957, Lurie worked as an expert witness on seven cases for the United States Indian Claims Commission and in 1957, she began teaching applied anthropology at the University of Michigan, where she obtained a tenure-tracked position in 1961. Between 1961-1962 Lurie also served as Sol Tax's assistant in the American Indian Chicago Conference, which involved ninety tribes gathering to draft the Declaration of Indian Purpose, later presented to President John F. Kennedy. Lurie's work with Sol Tax and his 'action anthropology' methodology gave her a national profile.

Starting in 1959, Lurie conducted fieldwork in the Northwest Territories with fellow Chicago graduate student June Helm. Together they worked with the Tłı̨chǫ, making trips to Behchokǫ̀ (Rae) and Wha Ti (Lac La Martre) in 1959, 1962 and 1967.

In 1963, Lurie joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as associate professor, where her first major task was establishing a Masters program with a certificate option in museology in collaboration with the Milwaukee Public Museum. She was promoted to professor three years later and was department chair from 1967-1970, when she helped to establish a doctoral program in anthropology. In 1972, Lurie fulfilled a childhood aspiration and became curator and head of the anthropology section of the Milwaukee Public Museum, where she worked until her retirement in 1993. She continued to serve as a volunteer there until 2015.

Throughout her career, Lurie was committed to the four-field tradition of anthropology in teaching and museum work. The emphasis in her own specialty of cultural anthropology was on community consultation, local control of development plans, respect for her consultants, training Native American scholars and educating mainstream society to respect Native American person and traditions. Her many honours and accomplishments include being a Fullbright-Hays lecturer at the University of Aarhus, Denmark from 1965-1966, and President of the American Anthropological Association in 1982.

In retirement, Lurie lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She passed away on May 13, 2017.

John "Jock" Murray McMeekan was born on January 3, 1903 in London, England and raised in Scotland. He studied romance languages and geology at London University for two years before immigrating to Canada. Between the years 1925 and 1935, he traveled across Canada writing and editing for various newspapers and prospecting for mining operations. In 1935, he arrived in Yellowknife and was employed by Burwash Yellowknife Mines to do prospecting, geological work and mapping. In 1940, Jock McMeekan started publishing the "Yellowknife Blade" which he published sporadically until 1953. In 1953, he moved to Uranium City in Saskatchewan and began publishing the "Uranium Era", which ran until 1960. He restarted the "Yellowknife Blade" in 1960, but stopped publishing it when he became associated with the "Mackenzie Press" in Hay River in 1962. He remained with the "Mackenzie Press" for only a short period and in 1963, he began publishing "The Hay River Optimist", which ran until his death on September 16, 1963. Jock's interest in prospecting and the mining industry is reflected in a number of his activities including his help in establishing the Prospectors Association and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio series "The Prospector Speaks" which aired between 1960 and 1962.

Mildred Itasca Hall was born in Iowa on October 23, 1899 and emigrated with her family to Olds, Alberta. She studied at the University of Alberta and became a schoolteacher. She moved to Yellowknife in 1938, and became the first public school teacher in the Northwest Territories. She married Jock McMeekan in 1941 and worked with him in the printing and publishing of the "Yellowknife Blade". She and Jock were devoted naturalists and loved to explore the land around Yellowknife. Mildred was intent on using whatever nature provided, picking berries and preserving food in the root cellar for the winter. Mildred also worked to publish her husband's works after his death, but died May 4, 1974 in Victoria B.C. before the project was completed. A former employee Gladys McCurdy Gould completed Mildred's work and published "Jock McMeekan's Yellowknife Blade" in 1984.

In 1948, Jock and Mildred accepted responsibility for raising Mildred's five-year-old niece, Hélène. Hélène (previously Giles, Henderson) Acikahte currently lives in Edmonton.

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 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.

In 1973, the Department of Industry and Development was renamed the Department of Economic Development and was restructured to respond more effectively to the traditional and modern economies of the Northwest Territories.

The Department of Economic Development was responsible for promoting and developing economic growth in the Northwest Territories. In addition, the department was responsible for establishing employment opportunities for all Northern residents and assisting the Indigenous people to participate in and benefit equally from the increased scale of economic activity throughout the Northwest Territories. The department encouraged and provided for the development of the tourism industry at the local level through grant programs aimed at communities that would assist them in realizing the economic benefits of tourism. It also provided training in management and hospitality, developed public tourism facilities and promoted traveling in the north through advertising and other promotional material. The Department of Economic Development was also involved in the promotion of commercial and industrial development by encouraging the establishment of primary and secondary industries that would provide economic benefit to northern residents. Furthermore, the department participated with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in planning for the exploration and development of non-renewable resources for the benefit of residents of the Northwest Territories.

The Tourism Division consisted of the Development and Promotion sections. The Development section was involved in the expansion and control of the tourism plant and services. It developed and regulated public tourist facilities and encouraged remote Indigenous community involvement in the tourism industry by providing training and grant programs that assisted in the construction of tourist accommodations or renovations to existing facilities. The Promotion section promoted visitor travel to and within the Northwest Territories through advertising, publicity, trade shows and provision of travel counseling services.

The Industry and Commerce Division was made up of five sections; the Business Development section was responsible for identifying economic opportunities throughout the Northwest Territories and for conducting feasibility studies with regard to such opportunities and the encouragement of investment to take advantage of these opportunities. The Financial Assistance section processed and reviewed applications for loans from loan funds administered by the department. This included the Small Business Loan Fund, the Eskimo Loan Fund, and the Fisherman's Loan Fund and in collaboration with the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs-the Indian Development Fund. The Project Operations section provided financial control and management monitoring and supervision to the range of productive enterprises for which the department was responsible, including the sale of finished products. The Co-operative section assisted in the development of co-operatives, regulated and monitored the operation of co-operatives and provided advisory support to individual co-operatives and to the Canadian Arctic Co-operative Federation. The Arts and Crafts section provided support and information to artists and artisans in how to do business with dealers and collectors inside and outside the Northwest Territories.

The Game Management Division was made up of five sections. The Trapline Management section planned, developed and implemented educational and management programs and projects designed to maximize the utilization of the fur resource and to increase the economic return to the trapper. The Big Game Management section planned and implemented programs that properly managed and utilized the big game resources and protected these resources. The Research section planned, developed and implemented a research program in support of trapline and big game management and conducted studies on endangered animal and game species. The Regulations section developed and enforced game laws and regulations and the Fishery Development section assisted in the development of a strong sport and commercial fishing industry that would benefit northern residents. In 1975, the Game Management Division was transferred to the Division of Natural and Cultural Affairs.

The Petroleum Resource Development Project was moved from the Executive Secretariat to the Department of Economic Development in 1975. This project group provided a coordination and liaison service to the departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories on matters relating to the Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline proposal, the Mackenzie Highway and the Beaufort Delta Oil Project. The Project Group also had overall management responsibility for the Hire North Project. This project was established to provide training and employment opportunities on the Mackenzie Highway construction project, for the indigenous people of the area.

The Employment Division transferred from the Department of Local Government to the Department of Economic Development in 1975. This division was responsible for determining needs, developing strategies and administering programs directed at increasing employment levels and employability of Northern residents. This division provided an employment and training placement service, offered advice on program needs and created strategies to overcome employment problems of Northerners. Furthermore, the division developed, coordinated and administered programs, operated employment counselling services throughout the Northwest Territories and developed and administered programs designed to solve short or long term unemployment problems at the community level. This division delivered the Apprenticeship program, which delivered programs for developing skilled tradesmen. In addition, the Territorial Employment Record and Information System (TERIS) was also administered by this division. This system developed a manpower and skills inventory for the Northwest Territories labour force which was utilized as a vehicle between labour supply and labour demand by ensuring employment opportunities be made available to potential northern candidates.

In 1976, the Tourism Division and some sections of the Industry and Commerce Division combined services and formed the Business Services and Tourism Division. The Financial Assistance sector provided assistance through the Small Business Loan Fund and Eskimo Loan Fund and provided counselling for applicants seeking loans. The Co-op Development section provided general business counselling to new or developing businesses and regulated and monitored the operation of co-operatives and provided advisory services to co-operatives and to the Canadian Arctic Co-operative Federation. This division also promoted travel in the Northwest Territories through promotional trade shows and advertising and also developed tourist facilities and maintained parks in the Northwest Territories.

The Project and Marketing Division also emerged at this time and was responsible for the planning, development and overall management of the department's commercial, industrial and crafts projects, as well as for the marketing activity. The Arts and Crafts program provided development, planning and counselling services to Inuit and Aboriginal artists and artisans and published information about northern arts and crafts to dealers and collectors within and outside the Northwest Territories. The program also focussed on training local people to assume a managerial role in craft operations. The Marketing program worked with the Arts and Crafts activity to assist in the marketing of finished products and to exhibit northern arts and crafts and trade shows, events and through catalogues.

The Research and Evaluation Division was responsible for providing economic research services within the government and to other organizations and individuals in the private sector. This division researched and planned new economic development projects and promoted the development of resident businesses. In addition, this activity prepared economic statistics, conducted economic analysis of existing and proposed projects and provided technical information on non-renewable resources development.

In 1977, the Department of Economic Development was renamed the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism was established in 1977 and assumed responsibility for the majority of the programs that were delivered by the Department of Economic Development.

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism was responsible for the promotion and development of businesses within the Northwest Territories in order to create jobs and incomes for northerners. This was facilitated through the provision of financial assistance such as grants and loans, technical support and employment training programs. The department targeted the development of employment opportunities within the arts and crafts, small business, gas and mineral, renewable resources and tourism sectors. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism was also responsible for the promotion and development of the Northwest Territories as a tourism destination, through marketing, development of tourist facilities and the territorial parks system.

The Business Services and Tourism Division operated between 1973-1979. It combined services required by the business community and the travel industry in the development of their enterprises. The Business Services or Financial section provided financial assistance through the Small Business Loan Fund and Eskimo Loan Fund and provided counseling for applicants seeking loans. The Cooperative and Credit Union sector provided general business counseling to new or developing businesses and regulated and monitored the operations of cooperatives and provided advisory services to cooperatives and to the Canadian Arctic Cooperative Federation. In 1978, this division also delivered the Special Rural Development Agreement (ARDA) funding which provided financial contributions to businesses and organizations, particularly aboriginal development corporations. The tourism activity managed Travel Arctic and the territorial parks. It provided services and assistance to encourage tourism and for the development of related facilities, such as package tours and visitor's centers. In 1979, this division reorganized and the Financial Services and Cooperative section transferred to the Business Development Division. The Parks and Tourism Division was created as the importance of developing infrastructure for the emerging tourist market was emphasized.

The Projects and Marketing Division of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism was responsible for the planning, development and overall management of the department's commercial, industrial and craft projects, as well as for the marketing activity. The Arts and Crafts program provided development, planning and counseling services to Inuit and aboriginal artists and artisans and published information about northern arts and crafts to dealers and collectors within and outside of the Northwest Territories. The program also focused on training local people to assume a managerial role in craft operations. The Marketing program worked with the Arts and Crafts activity to assist in the marketing of finished products and to exhibit northern arts and crafts at trade shows, through catalogues and at events such as the Pacific National Exhibition, Montreal Olympics and the Calgary Stampede.

In 1980, the Commerce Division replaced the Project and Marketing Division. The Commerce Division was responsible for promoting new business ventures, supporting and stimulating existing commercial activity, especially within the renewable resources sector. The Small Business Development sector was a new addition to this division that provided financial consulting, technical support, marketing advice and training programs that assisted new and existing businesses. The Arts and Crafts sector became a more enabling program that supported craft producer organizations, developed an awareness of opportunities and helped people to take advantage of these opportunities through the newly formed Northwest Territories Arts and Crafts Council and the Commercial Enterprises and Marketing sector. The Cooperative Division was integrated into the Commerce Division from the Business Services and Tourism Division in 1979. It continued to regulate and monitor the operations of cooperatives and provided advisory support to individual cooperatives and to the Canadian Arctic Cooperative Federation. Renewable Resources Development also became part of the Commerce Division at this time, which was consistent with the departmental mandate to maximize commercial development of primary resources. The objectives of this service were to provide technical assistance to the public and private sectors involved in planning, implementing or expanding of renewable based enterprises. Assistance was offered in preparing and evaluating proposals, feasibility studies, providing day-to-day technical assistance and financial support to the lumber and fishing industries and country foods programs, as well as maintaining a membership in related industry associations. Financial Services such as the Eskimo Loan Fund and the Fisherman's Loan Guarantee Fund, that had been part of the Business Services and Tourism Division, were now delivered through the Commerce Division.

In 1983, the Commerce Division reorganized and was renamed the Business Development Division. This division included a Small Business Section, Renewable Resources Development Section, Non-Renewable Resource Section and Arts and Crafts Section. The Non-renewable Resources Development placed an emphasis on promoting northern business in the mineral and petroleum sectors, produced the Northwest Territories Business Directory, and participated in trade shows that exhibited Northwest Territories exports. In 1988-1989, the Oil, Gas and Mining program was delivered through the Commerce Division. It encouraged the use of northern suppliers and a northern workforce and was involved in the North Warning System construction. Other activities delivered by the Commerce Division included the Trade, Investment and Industrial Development section that was responsible for stimulating activity in the areas of intersettlement, interprovincial and international trade and investment in small businesses. The Natural Resource Section promoted the integration of traditional skills in the wage economy. Programs and services were administered in support of commercial development of fisheries, arts and crafts, wildlife, forestry, fur and agriculture. The Oil and Gas Division and Natural Resources Division joined at this time to form the Resources Development Division, which continued to encourage employment and income benefits from renewable and non-renewable resource development.

In 1995-96, the Business Development Division was reorganized and renamed Corporate and Technical Services. The department was reorganized to meet increasing demands and programs were restructured to place decision-making closer to the client population. This was due to mineral exploration in the Northwest Territories and the expectation that there would be increased opportunity for local development. The division continued to deliver programs and services to small businesses, the arts and crafts sector, renewable resources and provided financial assistance through the Business Development fund.

When the Business Services and Tourism Division were reorganized, the Tourism and Parks Division was formed. This division placed a greater emphasis on developing the tourism industry and territorial parks system. It was responsible for tourism promotion, developing tourist facilities, providing advice and information to travelers and for developing, in conjunction with a Territorial Parks Committee, a Territorial Recreational Parks Program. The promotional publication, the Explorer's Guide was published by this division and the division participated in travel shows in Canada and the United States and promoted the Northwest Territories by advertising in magazines, direct mail campaigns, videos, merchandising and public relations. The division was also responsible for the implementation of the Tourism and Parks Programs, surveying travelers and evaluating tourist trends. The Regional Tourism Association was developed at this time to facilitate increased cooperation between the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the private sector and community residents in order to encourage community participation in the economic and social benefits to be derived from the tourism industry. The division's main task was to create entrepreneurial and employment opportunities for residents and encourage the development of services and attractions that would contribute to the economy of the Northwest Territories.

In 1995-1996, the Tourism and Parks Division was reorganized and separated to form two divisions. The Parks and Visitors Services Division planned, developed and operated territorial parks and visitor's centers. This division was also responsible for interpretive displays, highway and community signage and provided direct service, support and information to encourage travel. The Territorial Parks Act and Territorial Travel and Tourism Act guided the program. The Tourism Development and Marketing Division was responsible for developing, monitoring and evaluating tourism products and programs. Activities included supporting tourism industry associations, issuing licenses and ensuring that regulations were maintained. In cooperation with private sector, this division also planned and coordinated a tourism image for the Northwest Territories, through advertising, sales, promotion, merchandising, public and media relations and travel counseling. The division conducted analysis of market intelligence and evaluated tourism trends to maximize the effectiveness of tourism development programs.

The Planning and Development Division operated between 1976-1984. It was responsible for researching and planning new economic development projects and promoted the development of resident businesses. In addition, this activity prepared economic statistics in the Northwest Territories, conducted economic analysis of existing and proposed projects and provided technical information on non-renewable resources development. During this time period, the Planning and Development Division was involved in the introduction of the Department of Regional and Economic Expansion (DREE) and the delivery of the Special Agricultural and Rural Development Agreement fund (ARDA) to the Northwest Territories. Between 1980-1984, the focus of the Planning and Development Division concentrated on maximizing the benefits of renewable and non-renewable resource projects; therefore, the name of the division was changed to the Planning and Resource Development Activity to reflect this change of focus. The Economic Development Agreement was also delivered through the Planning and Resource Division and facilitated Federal-Territorial cooperation in initiatives that promoted planning and implementation of economic and socioeconomic development in the Northwest Territories. The economic initiatives focused on renewable resource development, arts and crafts, minerals, planning, tourism and small business development.

Between 1984-85, there were several changes within the Planning and Development Division and it ceased to exist. The mineral and petroleum resource section transferred to the Business Development Division and the responsibility for administering the Economic Development Agreement and development economic incentive policies were transferred to the Directorate.

In 1981, a Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Section was added to the department to deal with non-renewable resource development and ensure participation of northerners within the industry. The Economic Planning Secretariat, also delivered by the department at this time, was responsible for Territorial economic planning program, formulation, policy development and evaluation and providing technical and professional expertise inside and outside the department.

In 1984-1985, the Financial Service and Administration Division was created and became responsible for the provision of financial and administration services in support of the department's objectives. The Administration section managed the division and provided support for personnel activities; the Finance section was responsible for general accounting of revenue and expenditures and coordinating and monitoring the budgetary processes. The Loans Administration Section was responsible for administration and accounting for Business Loans and Guarantees Fund, Eskimo Loan Fund, Special Agricultural and Rural Development Agreement Fund (ARDA) and Economic Development Agreement. The Systems and Procedures section provided technical assistance and training in financial management, accounting procedures and control.

Between 1985-86, the Department created the temporary Expo '86 division in which staff developed and operated a pavilion that presented the Northwest Territories to the world during Expo 1986, in Vancouver. The pavilion included audiovisual exhibits, a theatre, and a stage for live performances, a business center and retail sales concession. The program was completed during the 1986-87 fiscal year.

The Employment and Training Division was responsible for determining needs, developing strategies and administering programs directed at increasing employment levels and employability of northern residents. This division provided an employment and training placement and referral service, developed, coordinated and administered programs that would increase employment and provided training in career development. It also administered programs designed to solve short or long term unemployment problems in communities and developed and operated an employment counseling service through the Northwest Territories. This division delivered programs such as the Subsidized Term Employment Program (STEP), Territorial Employment Record and Information System (TERIS) and Hire North that trained northerners in operating highway construction equipment in order to construct a portion of the Mackenzie Highway.

The name of the Employment and Training Division was changed to Manpower Development Division in 1981. The division continued to be responsible for manpower counseling, identifying and securing training and employment opportunities for northerners and managing Apprenticeship Program, Training-on-the Job Program, Subsidized Term Employment Program, Labour Pools, Job Rotations, Job Relocations, Career Program and Territorial Employment Record Information System (TERIS).

During 1984-85, the Manpower Development Division continued to deliver programs however, it also was involved in facilitating the amalgamation of the various training functions in the Government of the Northwest Territories into the Department of Education.

The Policy and Planning Division emerged in 1987-1988 and was responsible for the evaluation and development of policies and programs for the department. It consisted of the Economic Planning and Policy Evaluation Sections and prepared the Northwest Territories Economic Review and Outlook. The division also provided technical assistance and advice to other divisions in the areas of market assessments, feasibility studies and special economic analyses. During 1995-1997, a Human Resources component was added to the Policy and Planning Division. This activity administered the Affirmative Action Business Education Development program (AABED) and was responsible for developing and maintaining the electronic information systems.

In 1995, the Business Credit Corporation was added to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. It was a Crown agency that provided loans, contract security lines of credit and loan guarantees to eligible businesses in Northwest Territories. The purpose of this activity was to provide operational funding for the Northwest Territories Business Credit Corporation.

In 1996-1997, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism joined with the Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and the Department of Renewable Resources to form the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.