List of premiers of the Northwest Territories

The premier of the Northwest Territories is a title given to the head of government in the Northwest Territories of Canada when the territory is using an elected system of responsible government. Throughout its history, the territory has been governed by various combinations of locally elected governments and administrators appointed by the government of Canada.

Upon creation, the Northwest Territories were governed by the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, a representative of the federal government and Queen Victoria, the then Queen of Canada, for the newly created province of Manitoba. Six years later in 1876, the territory was given its own lieutenant governor, separate from that of Manitoba.[1] These lieutenant governors presided over an assembly with members both elected and appointed by the federal government. Before 1888, the territory required electoral districts with an area of 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) to contain at least 1,000 people. When this quota was met, a by-election was held to elect a member to replace an appointed one.

The Northwest Territories held its first general elections to the North-West Legislative Assembly in 1888 when it considered the population to be sufficient.[2] After this election, the chairman of the assembly's Executive Committee (analogous to a cabinet) assumed the role of head of government.[3] From 1898 to 1905, the chairman used the title "premier", the same title used by the heads of government in the Canadian provinces.[4]

In 1905, the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created from the most populous regions of the Northwest Territories. With a much lower population, powers of the territory's head of government reverted to a federal and Crown representative appointed by the prime minister of Canada, this time with the title Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.[1] Beginning in 1951, and increasingly in 1967, powers were transferred back to an elected assembly. In 1980, the head of this assembly regained the title of premier, and in 1985 the became chair of the Executive Council and full head of government.

Because the Northwest Territories has a consensus government, the premier is elected by, and from, the members of the Legislative Assembly, and are not divided into parties.[5] This list contains only those government leaders who governed under an elected system of responsible government. For the heads of government before and in between these times, see commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

Premiers of the Northwest Territories
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
District		 Term of office Electoral mandates (Assembly)


—[N 1]
Robert Brett
(1851–1929)
MLA for Red Deer		 30 June 1888
–
7 November 1891



—[N 1]
Sir Frederick Haultain
(1857–1942)
MLA for Macleod		 7 November 1891
–
7 October 1897



1
Sir Frederick Haultain
(1857–1942)
MLA for Macleod		 7 October 1897
–
24 August 1905



See commissioner of the Northwest Territories for the heads of government between 1905 and 1980.
2
George Braden[N 2]
(1949–2015)		 16 June 1980
–
12 January 1984
  • Appointment
3
Richard Nerysoo[N 2]
(b. 1953)		 12 January 1984
–
5 November 1985



4
Nick Sibbeston[N 2]
(b. 1943)		 5 November 1985
–
12 November 1987
  • Appointment
5
Dennis Patterson[N 2]
(b. 1948)		 12 November 1987
–
14 November 1991



6
Nellie Cournoyea[N 2]
(b. 1940)		 14 November 1991
–
22 November 1995



7
Don Morin
(b. 1954)		 22 November 1995
–
26 November 1998



acting[6]
Goo Arlooktoo
(1963–2002)		 26 November 1998
–
10 December 1998
  • Appointment
8
Jim Antoine
(b. 1949)		 10 December 1998
–
17 January 2000



9
Stephen Kakfwi
(b. 1950)		 17 January 2000
–
10 December 2003
  • Appointment
10
Joe Handley
(b. 1943)		 10 December 2003
–
19 October 2007



11
Floyd Roland
(b. 1961)		 19 October 2007
–
26 October 2011



12
Bob McLeod
(b. 1952)		 26 October 2011
–
24 October 2019



13
Caroline Cochrane
(b. 1960)		 24 October 2019
–



  1. Robert Brett used the title Chairman of the Lt. Governor's Advisory Council. Frederick Haultain used the title Chairman of the Executive Committee until 1897.
  2. Before 1994, the position was officially known as Government Leader; however, the territory has retroactively applied the title of Premier.

Living former premiers

As of October 2019, ten former premiers are alive, the oldest being Nellie Cournoyea (1991–1995, born 1940). The most recently serving premier to die was George Braden (1980–1984) on May 25, 2015.

NameTermDate of birth
Richard Nerysoo 1984–1985 1953 (age 67–68)[7]
Nick Sibbeston 1985–1987 (1943-11-21) November 21, 1943[8]
Dennis Patterson 1987–1991 (1948-12-30) December 30, 1948[9]
Nellie Cournoyea 1991–1995 (1940-03-04) March 4, 1940[10]
Don Morin 1995–1998 1954 (age 66–67)[11]
Jim Antoine 1998–2000 1949 (age 71–72)[12]
Stephen Kakfwi 2000–2003 1950 (age 70–71)[13]
Joe Handley 2003–2007 (1943-08-09) August 9, 1943[14]
Floyd Roland 2007–2011 (1961-11-23) November 23, 1961[15]
Bob McLeod 2011–2019 1952 (age 66–67)

See also

References
General
  • "Territories" (PDF). Government of Saskatchewan. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
  • "The Office of the Lieutenant Governor". Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
Specific
  1. "The Northwest Territories". Library and Archives Canada. May 2, 2005. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
  2. Thomas, Lewis Herbert (1978). The Struggle for Responsible Government in the North-West Territories, 1870-97. University of Toronto Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-8020-2287-5.
  3. "The Honourable Dr. Robert G. Brett, 1915-25". Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
  4. "The North-West Territories (1870–1905)" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
  5. "Election of the Speaker, Premier, and Ministers". Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  6. "New premier on horizon". NNSL. November 30, 1998. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014.
  7. Guide Parlementaire Canadien Richard Nerysoo
  8. Biography Archived January 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Dennis Glen Patterson - Conservative Party of Canada
  10. Nellie J. Cournoyea Archived December 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine at Collections Canada
  11. Profile of a leader Archived December 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  12. Janine Edklund (April 1, 1999). "Premier Jim Antoine lives in interesting times". Lethbridge Herald. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  13. Stephen Kakfwi Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine - The Canadian Encyclopedia (accessed 2014-04-20).
  14. CIM Bulletin, Volume 94
  15. The Canadian Parliamentary Guide Floyd Roland

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