Commissioners of the Northwest Territories

Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Flag of the Office:
Coat of Arms of the Office:
Incumbent: George Tuccaro
First commissioner:
Frederick D. White
Formation:
August 24, 1905

The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is the Canadian federal government’s representative in Northwest Territories (NWT) and the territory's Chief Executive Officer. Similar in certain functions to a lieutenant governor, the Commissioner swears in the Members of the Legislative Assembly, swears in members of the Executive Council, assents to bills, opens sessions of the Legislative Assembly, and signs other government documents such as Orders in Council.

Earlier Commissioners were mostly Deputy Ministers in various ministries (Minister of the Interior, Mines, Mines and Resources)).

As Commissioners are appointed by the Canadian federal government it is a misnomer to consider the office the Monarch's viceregal representative in the territory--that is, unlike in Canada's provinces, there is no such thing as a "territorial Crown" analogous to the provincial Crowns. The Commissioner must follow any instructions of the Cabinet or the relevant federal minister, currently the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Since 1980, the territories have had self-government, with the legislature choosing a Government Leader or Premier, in addition to electing Members of Parliament to the Parliament of Canada.

Commissioners of the NWT

From To Name
24 August 1905 27 June 1919 Frederick D. White
27 June 1919 17 February 1931 William Wallace Cory
31 March 1931 30 April 1934 Hugh H. Rowatt
1 May 1934 2 December 1936 vacant (Roy A. Gibson acting)
3 December 1936 3 December 1946 Charles Camsell
14 January 1947 24 September 1950 Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside
14 November 1950 15 November 1953 Hugh Andrew Young
15 November 1953 12 July 1963 Robert Gordon Robertson
12 July 1963 16 January 1967 Bent Gestur Sivertz
2 March 1967 6 April 1979 Stuart Milton Hodgson
15 April 1979 31 July 1989 John Havelock Parker
2 October 1989 30 September 1994 Daniel L. Norris
16 January 1995 26 March 1999 Helen Maksagak
26 March 1999 31 March 2000 Daniel Joseph Marion
31 March 2000 7 April 2005 Glenna Hansen
29 April 2005 28 April 2010 Tony Whitford
28 May 2010 present George Tuccaro

Living former Commissioners

Deputy Commissioners

Margaret Thom is the current Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. For former Deputy Commissioners see List of Northwest Territories deputy commissioners.

See also

External links

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