Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 08/01) - Bob MacQuarrie moved North from Edmonton in 1966 because he was worried about his young children playing in the streets amid too much traffic. MacQuarrie has now lived in the North over 30 years.

Bob MacQuarrie

A typical Northern story one might think, but MacQuarrie is no ordinary Northerner. The father, actor, musician, teacher and politician has already left quite a mark.

He started his career as principal of the school in Baker Lake. In 1970, he and his wife, Jo, along with their three children, moved to Yellowknife.

"Moving to Yellowknife was like moving south," recalls MacQuarrie."We drove here in mid-August. The rocks, the water, the beautiful sunlight -- it was very nice.

His love for small towns goes back to his childhood days spent in the coal mining town of Hinton, Alta.

"I've always found that there were a lot of interesting people in Yellowknife. It attracts a lot of them, looking for something different. There were all sorts of different cultures here, aboriginal and from all over the world. It forced you to be open minded, and I think a lot of Yellowknifers are like that."

As a teacher at Sir John high school, MacQuarrie saw much of himself in the faces of his young students who came from all over the North.

He relished in his role as advisor to the school's student council. He was also a hit with the kids when it came time for the teachers to put on another skit.

"I really enjoy working with young people," says MacQuarrie. "That's one of the reasons why I didn't stay a principal."

MacQuarrie taught for nine years at Sir John. He was relatively happy, but something began troubling him as the 1970s wore on.

Teacher turns politician

A self-described "politically interested person," MacQuarrie took note of recent developments at the territorial legislature, and what he saw was a powder keg ready to blow.

After the Thomas Berger inquiries of the mid-1970s, a clear resolve took root among aboriginal peoples living in the North towards the encroachment of non-native culture and industry. However, MacQuarrie says the legislative assembly was not taking these developments seriously.

What MacQuarrie saw was an assembly driven towards developing a constitutional position that would make the NWT indivisible and the assembly's powers -- next to the federal government -- supreme. That was something aboriginal groups strongly rejected across the territories.

In 1979, MacQuarrie decided to throw in his hat and try for a seat on the assembly.

"The main reason why I ran was that the eighth assembly (1975-9) didn't reflect the majority of people in the NWT," says MacQuarrie.

"The key elements (of the assembly's constitutional position) would be one territory and one territorial government, responsible government in four years, and a province in 15 years.

"It was all kind of surreal to me because the aboriginal people, particularly the Dene, rejected the territorial government, and on the other side, the Inuit wanted the territory divided."

With aboriginal participation in the territorial government previously at a minimum, and the assembly dominated by non-native concerns, MacQuarrie, who had won a seat, felt he could now question constitutional aims of the government.

But after 1979 the territorial government underwent changes.

"The great irony occurred," says Macquarrie. "I ran, I was elected, but some very strong aboriginals also ran."

There was now an aboriginal majority in the legislative assembly, led by people such as Nellie Cournoyea and Nick Sibbeston.

"I was very sympathetic to them, but I was elected to represent Yellowknife Centre," says MacQuarrie. "I had to make sure that the government wasn't ignoring others as well."

MacQuarrie spent his first year as an MLA in the role of speaker of the house. He was also made chair of the special committee on unity, which, in 1980, recommended a plebiscite be held to determine whether the territory should be divided.

After residents voted to divide the territory in 1982, events progressed quickly. Both western and eastern constitutional forums -- with MacQuarrie representing non-natives in the West -- were set up to determine how the two separate governments would eventually work.

But by early 1987, the Dene First Nations still had not reached an agreement with the territorial government, and the deal fell apart in Iqaluit.

The constitutional process was no longer on top of the agenda.

"I think after the agreement fell apart, I said I wouldn't run again, because I didn't want to spend four years working there when constitutional matters wouldn't be at the forefront," recalls MacQuarrie.

MacQuarrie decided it was time to go back to the classroom.

Politician turns teacher

Upon his return to Sir John, MacQuarrie marvelled at the changes in students' appearance since the '70s -- Disco and bell-bottoms had given way to Miami Vice and spiky haircuts.

His first year out of government would also herald another change in his life. His marriage to Jo ended in 1978, and now there was a new love interest on the horizon.

"I've been very fortunate," says MacQuarrie, referring to his common-law wife Irene Johnson. "It's hard to imagine that two people could get along better than we do."

MacQuarrie also began exploring his artistic side. He started acting in local plays, and was asked to audition for Yellowknife's most famous music group -- The Gumboots.

"In 1988, Bill Gilday called me up and said their bass (voice) was leaving town, and asked me if I wanted to join," says MacQuarrie. "I was kind of surprised because I didn't know that he knew I sing."

After a couple months of jitters, MacQuarrie began to feel more comfortable with the group and began writing songs.

"They found out I could write lyrics," says MacQuarrie. "Gilday proposed an incident, Billy Adamache, who got lost in the Barrens for 15 days, was declared dead, and then after crossing a river (to safety), heard on the radio that his job was up.

"Gilday said, 'Bob, these are what folk songs are made of ... The Resurrection of Billy Adamache. That was the first of our originals but we've had many after that."

Over the next 12 years, The Gumboots recorded three albums and toured to every nook and cranny in the North.

Moving on

MacQuarrie has decided it is time to leave. And like anyone who has spent so much time in one place, he feels doubt lingering about his feet.

"We knew that the toughest thing would be moving away from people that are liked, and we're familiar with," says MacQuarrie.

"But I have two grandchildren. One in Ottawa, and one in Toronto, and it's a long way and it's expensive to travel."

By the end of October, MacQuarrie and Irene will be on their way to their new home in Spruce Grove, Alta.

"It's been 31 years of pleasure," says MacQuarrie.

"I enjoyed living up here very much, and I've met many fine people living here. I can't think of anywhere better to live."