At a public event on Thursday evening, several candidates vying for positions in the Yellowknife municipal election deliberated on the integration of arts and culture into the city’s decision-making processes. The forum, organized by the N.W.T. Art Centre Initiative and overseen by Sarah Swan, a local art curator and writer, drew the participation of 16 out of the 21 council hopefuls, in addition to both mayoral contenders.
The gathering commenced with Swan reflecting on the significance of backing the arts and whether it clashes with public priorities. She emphasized the need for the city administration to adopt a comprehensive view of the arts, positioning it as a tool for enhancing the local economy and as a fundamental component of civic life in the upcoming term.
During the forum, candidates took turns joining Swan on stage, where they were randomly chosen to briefly introduce themselves with a single word, articulate their views on art in five words, and respond to a query related to the role of arts and culture at the municipal level. While candidates were allowed to prepare responses based on a set of potential questions before the forum, certain themes emerged repeatedly, such as the promotion of Indigenous art, the status of the city’s arts and culture master plan, and the potential synergy between tourism and the arts.
One candidate, Simon Whitehouse, emphasized the need for Yellowknife to better showcase its Indigenous identity, advocating for increased representation of Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, and Sahtu Dene arts and culture in the city. Another candidate, Cody Drygeese, stressed the necessity for more platforms and opportunities for Indigenous artists to showcase and sell their work, particularly highlighting the need for greater support for Indigenous women artists.
Regarding the city’s arts and culture master plan, which was adopted in 2022 but largely remains unimplemented, Gerri Whiteford suggested that the plan lacked sufficient community engagement during its creation and should be revisited using fresh approaches. Mayoral candidate Garett Cochrane proposed amending the existing plan rather than drafting a new one, suggesting its integration into the city council’s work agenda. Cochrane also recommended transforming the city’s heritage committee into a broader heritage, arts, and recreation committee, and reimagining the role of the special events co-ordinator to include arts programming.
In discussions about tourism and the arts, candidate Keneisha Buddoo envisioned aligning the two sectors to enhance economic opportunities, suggesting that tourists could be enticed to extend their stays by offering diverse arts and cultural experiences alongside natural attractions like the Northern Lights. Additionally, candidates explored the possibility of reallocating funds from the recently introduced Tourist Accommodation Tax to support arts and culture initiatives in the city. Rylund Johnson proposed establishing a sustainable revenue stream for funding arts and culture, with a portion of the tax revenue possibly allocated to a destination marketing organization.
The forum concluded as the final pre-election event before the voting day on Monday, Oct. 19.
