[00:00:05]
AND I WILL CALL OUR SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2026 TO ORDER.
[1. Councillor Warburton will read the Opening Statement.]
AND FIRST WE HAVE THE OPENING STATEMENT. IF I CAN ASK DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON TO READ THE OPENING STATEMENT.CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE ARE LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL HAS BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION. WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE MÉTIS AND ALL OTHER FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF. DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A CONFLICT ON A MATTER BEFORE SPECIAL COUNCIL TODAY? SEEING NONE. NEXT, WE HAVE NEW BUSINESS, A PRESENTATION AND A MEMO REGARDING WHETHER TO APPOINT A REGISTRAR OF ENUMERATION FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE FOR THE 2026 MUNICIPAL
[Item 3 & 4]
GENERAL ELECTION. DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON. MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPOINT STEPHEN DUNBAR AS REGISTER OF ENUMERATION FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE FOR THE 2026 MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF I CAN GET A SECONDER.GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL. SO, AS YOU'VE JUST HEARD BEFORE YOU, TODAY IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPOINT THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER FROM ELECTIONS NWT, MR. STEPHEN DUNBAR, AS THE REGISTRAR OF ENUMERATION.
HE HAS OFFERED HIS TIME TO BE HERE TODAY. BUT I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU A BROAD OVERVIEW OF ELECTION READINESS FOR ELECTION 2026. THE BROAD OVERVIEW THIS MORNING. IT'S GOING TO BE BRIEF, I PROMISE.
SO KEY HIGHLIGHTS VERY BRIEFLY, THE PILOT PARTNERSHIP THAT THAT I MENTIONED HAS TWO MAIN ELEMENTS.
ONE WHERE ELECTIONS NWT WE'RE PROPOSING WOULD LEAD THE ENUMERATION.
AND THAT'S THE ISSUE BEFORE YOU TODAY WHERE APPOINTING MR. DUNBAR AS THE REGISTRAR OF ENUMERATION AND ALSO ELECTIONS NWT ASSISTING IN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.
THERE ARE SOME DETAILS THAT I HAVE TO OFFER FOR THAT TODAY, AND I'LL COME BACK TO THOSE. BUT TWO OTHER MAIN KEY HIGHLIGHTS ONE, VOTING THIS YEAR WILL BE IN PERSON. FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T ABLE TO VOTE IN PERSON, THERE WILL BE THE THE LEGISLATIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE MAIL IN BALLOTS, MOBILE PROXY VOTING VOTING AT THE OFFICE OF THE RETURNING OFFICER, AND ADVANCE VOTING.
ELECTIONS NWT IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO LEAD THE ENUMERATION PROCESS, BECAUSE THEY ALREADY MAINTAIN A REGISTER OF VOTERS FROM ACROSS THE TERRITORY, WHICH ENABLES THEM TO IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE YELLOWKNIFE VOTERS.
THAT APPROACH WILL BOTH MINIMIZE THE WORKLOAD FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTION STAFF.
BUT ALSO REDUCES DUPLICATION BECAUSE THERE'S JUST ONE COMPREHENSIVE LIST THAT WE GET TO WORK FROM.
A POINT TO NOTE, THOUGH, IF COUNCIL APPROVES OF THE REGISTRAR OF ENUMERATION TODAY, ELECTIONS NWT IS IMMEDIATELY PREPARED TO, AT NO COST TO THE CITY, START SENDING OUT HOUSEHOLD ENUMERATION MAILERS TO MAKE SURE THAT VOTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO UPDATE THEIR REGISTRATION AND GET ON THAT LIST.
CONTINUING ON WITH THE PILOT PROJECT ADMINISTRATION OF THE ELECTION.
SO WE ARE STILL FINALIZING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH ELECTIONS NWT TO CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ADMINISTERING THE ELECTION BUT BROAD-BRUSH STROKES. ELECTIONS NWT WOULD ASSIST WITH THE STAFFING AND TRAINING, SHARING THEIR BEST PRACTICES, EXPERIENCE AND FRANKLY, EXPERTISE, AND ALSO HOUSING THE OFFICE OF THE RETURNING OFFICER WITH THE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS NWT.
A KEY ASPECT OF ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IS SELECTING THE RETURNING OFFICER.
SO. THAT IS ALSO REQUIRED BY OUR LEGISLATION.
THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A RETURNING OFFICER ARE SET OUT IN THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ELECTIONS ACT, BUT THEY'RE GENERALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ELECTION.
[00:05:04]
THE PROPOSED PROCESS THIS YEAR IS THAT ELECTIONS NWT WILL PROVIDE A LIST OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO ADMINISTRATION.THE RETURNING OFFICER IS THEN LOCATED AT THE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS NWT.
THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY THE STAFF AND THE RESOURCES THERE.
THAT IS MY VERY FAST AND BRIEF HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF ELECTION PREPAREDNESS FOR 2026.
NEXT STEPS, THOUGH, ARE TODAY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION OF THE REGISTRAR OF ENUMERATION.
WE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE RETURNING WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR RETURNING OFFICER.
AND THEN STAY TUNED FOR THE FINALIZATION OF THE MOU WITH ELECTIONS NWT.
THAT'S EVERYTHING I HAVE FOR YOU THIS AFTERNOON. UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME OR FOR MR. DUNBAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CALJOUW. SO, TO THE MOTION, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THIS MOTION? COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS FOR THAT, COLE. THAT WAS AWESOME.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION. THE BUDGET THAT COUNCIL APPROVED ANY ANTICIPATED CHANGES BASED ON THIS NEW ARRANGEMENT OR IS THE BIG WIN REALLY? OBVIOUSLY SAVINGS AND STAFF TIME AND EFFORT ON OUR SIDE? MR. CALJOUW. GOOD QUESTION. YES, THAT IS THE BIG WIN.
NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET SO FAR. THANKS COUNCILLOR FEQUET. ANYTHING ELSE? SEEING NOTHING ELSE.
THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY.
EFFICIENCIES WHERE WE CAN HAVE THEM. THANK YOU BOTH TO NWT ELECTIONS AND TO THE CITY STAFF.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS, I'M ASSUMING I COUNCILLOR COCHRANE PIPE UP IF YOU'RE AGAINST, BUT OTHERWISE WE'LL ASSUME. SORRY, I CAN'T SEE YOU.
[LAUGHTER] WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT. AND I SEE YOU AGAIN COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.
YOU'RE IN. THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] I ASSUMED AS MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE MR. DUNBAR.
[Item 5 - 7]
WE HAVE A MEMO REGARDING MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS MEETING OF FEBRUARY 19TH, 2026, A MEMO REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ALLOCATE THE VETERANS HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM FUNDING FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR.ALLOCATE VETERANS HOMELESS PROGRAM FUNDING FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR AS FOLLOWS $85,000 TO THE TREE OF PEACE FRIENDSHIP CENTER FOR VETERAN WELLNESS AND HEALING INITIATIVE, AND $85,000 TO YELLOWKNIFE STREET SUPPORT NETWORK VETERAN HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN I GET A SECONDER? COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
[Item 8 & 9]
NEXT WE HAVE A MEMO WHETHER TO APPOINT MORIAH HARRIS AND RIEL BROUILLETTE.DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON. I MOVE PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.1 OF THE ZONING BY-LAW NO.
5045, AS AMENDED MORIAH HARRIS AND RIEL. WOW.
BROUILLETTE BE APPOINTED AS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.
AND THE APPOINTMENT SHALL EXPIRE UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE. AND AGAIN, APOLOGIES IF I MESSED THAT UP. CAN I GET A SECONDER FOR THE MOTION? COUNCILLOR MCGURK. AND YES, APOLOGIES FOR AS SOMEBODY WHOSE LAST NAME IS SPELLED INCORRECTLY ALL THE TIME, I HOPE EVERYBODY CAN ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN LAST NAMES ARE UNFORTUNATELY BUTCHERED.
BUT WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THIS MOTION? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO THAT TAKES US TO THE END OF OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN?
COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH SECONDED BY WORK WITH ME HERE, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. AND THAT TAKES US TO THE END OF OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.