Two-term Yellowknife city councillor and current deputy mayor Stacie Arden-Smith has entered the race to become the next MLA for Great Slave.
Arden-Smith, who was born and raised in the NWT and is a Tłı̨chǫ citizen, announced her candidacy in an Oct. 13 news release.
“I’ve proven myself to be a hardworking and honest person,” she said in the release. “I have the courage, the smarts and the compassion to get the Legislative Assembly back to work on what really matters to Northerners.”
Arden-Smith, who has a diploma in visual arts and working on completing a Bachelor of Commerce program, outlined “strengthening the NWT’s economy, supporting the most vulnerable, and Indigenous reconciliation” as key priorities for her campaign.
“I’ve been grateful to advance the cause of reconciliation and offer true representation to the many Indigenous peoples who live in our city,” she said. “I will continue this work and champion the need for Indigenous leaders to have a full seat at the table as the MLA for Great Slave.”
She also said she will also focus on supporting entrepreneurs, small business owners and those suffering from homelessness, addictions and poverty.
“When it comes down to it, not enough has really changed in four years,” she said, referring to the state of the assembly. “Yellowknife hasn’t had a strong advocate in the Legislative Assembly and I know that my experience as a City Councillor will serve me well as an MLA. I’m not afraid of the challenges ahead, and I’m ready to give Great Slave and all of Yellowknife the representation it deserves.”
Arden-Smith joins the incumbent Katrina Nokleby and Kate Reid in declaring their intentions.