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 1897 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)		 Term of office Electoral mandates (Assembly) Political party Riding Ref.
Chairman of the Lt. Governor's Advisory Council
—
Robert Brett
(1851–1929)		 30 June
1888		 7 November
1891
  • 1888 election (1st N.W. Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Red Deer
Chairman of the Executive Committee
—
Frederick Haultain
(1857–1942)		 7 November
1891		 7 October
1897
  • 1891 election (2nd N.W. Assembly)
  • 1894 election (3rd N.W. Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Macleod
Premiers of the Northwest Territories
1
Frederick Haultain
(1857–1942)		 7 October
1897		 24 August
1905
  • 1898 election (4th N.W. Assembly)
  • 1902 election (5th N.W. Assembly)
 Liberal–Conservative MLA for Macleod
See commissioner of the Northwest Territories for the heads of government between 1905 and 1980.
2
George Braden[N 1]
(1949–2015)		 16 June
1980		 12 January
1984
  • Appointment (9th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Yellowknife North
3
Richard Nerysoo[N 1]
(b. 1953)		 12 January
1984		 5 November
1985
  • 1983 election (10th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Mackenzie Delta
4
Nick Sibbeston[N 1]
(b. 1943)		 5 November
1985		 12 November
1987
  • Appointment (10th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Deh Cho Gah
5
Dennis Patterson[N 1]
(b. 1948)		 12 November
1987		 14 November
1991
  • 1987 election (11th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Iqaluit
6
Nellie Cournoyea[N 1]
(b. 1940)		 14 November
1991		 22 November
1995
  • 1991 election (12th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Nunakput
7
Don Morin
(b. 1954)		 22 November
1995		 26 November
1998
  • 1995 election (13th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Tu Nedhe
acting
Goo Arlooktoo
(1963–2002)		 26 November
1998		 10 December
1998
  • Appointment (13th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Baffin South [6]
8
Jim Antoine
(b. 1949)		 10 December
1998		 17 January
2000
  • Appointment (13th Assembly)
  • 1999 election (14th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Nahendeh
9
Stephen Kakfwi
(b. 1950)		 17 January
2000		 10 December
2003
  • Appointment (14th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Sahtu
10
Joe Handley
(b. 1943)		 10 December
2003		 19 October
2007
  • 2003 election (15th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Weledeh
11
Floyd Roland
(b. 1961)		 19 October
2007		 26 October
2011
  • 2007 election (16th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake
12
Bob McLeod
(b. 1952)		 26 October
2011		 24 October
2019
  • 2011 election (17th Assembly)
  • 2015 election (18th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Yellowknife South
13
Caroline Cochrane
(b. 1960)		 24 October
2019		 incumbent
  • 2019 election (19th Assembly)
 Non-partisan MLA for Range Lake
  1. 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 August 2022, 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 68–69)[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 67–68)[11]
Jim Antoine 1998–2000 1949 (age 72–73)[12]
Stephen Kakfwi 2000–2003 1950 (age 71–72)[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
  • List of Northwest Territories general elections
  • List of lieutenant governors of the Northwest Territories

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. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. 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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