Frame Lake | Roy Erasmus, Kevin O'Reilly, Jan Fullerton, David Wasylciw
With incumbent MLA Wendy Bisaro not running again, the Yellowknife riding of Frame Lake is one of only three districts that are guaranteed to have new representation after the N.W.T. election on Nov. 23.
That chance at an open seat has drawn four high-profile candidates to the race for Frame Lake: lawyer Roy Erasmus, environmental advocate Kevin O'Reilly, Skills Canada N.W.T. executive director Jan Fullerton and computer whiz David Wasylciw.
- CBC North is planning to hold an online forum will all the candidates in this riding at noon on Nov. 19. Find the full schedule here.
- Frame Lake candidates took part in a forum Nov. 4 night in Yellowknife.
Frame Lake includes the trailer parks and apartment buildings of Yellowknife's inner suburbs, as well as Stanton Territorial Hospital and the Legislative Assembly building itself. There are lots of working people and families here, and pocketbook issues are likely to play a major role in the result.
Roy Erasmus
A former MLA for Yellowknife North from 1995 to 1999 and four-term band councillor for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Erasmus has a law degree, an MBA and a diploma in wellness counselling. He has also served as an assistant deputy minister for several GNWT departments.
Erasmus says his priorities are tackling the high cost of living, particularly heat and electricity, and kickstarting the construction of more affordable housing. He also wants to see the construction of a degree-granting college campus in Yellowknife that would offer a more diverse range of courses, including academics, trades and technical training, fine arts and upgrading.
Campaign Facebook page
Jan Fullerton
Fullerton has worked as the executive director for Skills Canada N.W.T. for the last 10 years. She has a degree in political science, as well as training in leadership and non-profit management. While this election is her first run at elected office, she says her career in the non-profit sector, with its need for accountability, has been good training for politics.
She says the state of the economy is the number one issue in this election. Her priorities are improving access to education and health care (especially for addictions and mental health). But she says the GNWT needs to do a better job supporting the business community, because without improved economic growth, the government won't be able to provide the services people need.
Campaign website
Kevin O'Reilly
O'Reilly is well known in Yellowknife for his work for a variety of aboriginal, public and non-profit agencies on resource management and planning, including serving as Alternatives North's point man on the Giant Mine cleanup. He holds degrees in environmental studies and planning and served on Yellowknife city council from 1997 until 2006.
He says the N.W.T. needs a new economic vision that better balances small-scale industries with resource development. He offers the examples of renewable energy, wood pellet manufacturing and the Great Slave fishery as industries that could help cut down on the need for imported goods and help people stay in their home communities. He also wants to see less conflict between Yellowknife and the communities.
Campaign Facebook page
David Wasylciw
Wasylciw spent a decade in government doing policy work on immigration and infrastructure, then another decade in the information technology business. He has a background in computer science and founded the website OpenNWT, dedicated to government transparency. He also volunteers for numerous community groups, including the Coalition Against Family Violence and the North of 60 Family Advisory Committee for military families,
He says his priorities in this election are education and children, the economy, the cost of living and the need for more transparent government. Wasylciw believes the territory`s economy needs to be diversified and that the GNWT needs to do more to ensure government contracts go to Northern businesses.
Campaign Facebook page
The CBC will profile all candidates, by riding, in the lead-up to voting day, Nov. 23.
