NWT Human Rights Commision Mission

Contact Us

NWT Human Rights Commission

Write:

PO Box 1860
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P4
E-mail: info@nwthumanrights.ca
Fax: 867-873-0357

Call:

Toll Free: 1-888-669-5575
Yellowknife: 867-669-5575

Visit:

Main Floor, Laing Building, 5003-49th Street
(Entrance on Franklin Street, next to Motor Vehicles.)

Web:

www.nwthumanrights.ca

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The NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel

The NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel is a separate and independent agency whose sole function is to a) holds hearings into complaints that are referred to them by the Director of Human Rights and b) hears appeals of the Director's decisions to dismiss complaints.

The NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel provides decisions in writing to the parties involved. The decisions of the NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel are available on their website: http://hrap.nt.ca.

For further information about upcoming hearings or questions about the Panel's rules and regulations, please contact the Panel directly:

NWT Human Rights Adjudication Panel

Mail: #14 – 4915 48 Street, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S4

Email: adjudicationpanel@gov.nt.ca

Phone: 1-867-920-3188 or Toll free: 1-888-920-3188
Fax: 1-867-920-6278 or Toll free: 1-877-920-6278

Visit: Third Floor, YK Center East (Formerly Panda II Mall), 4915 - 50th Avenue
(Shared office space with Elections NWT)

Website: http://hrap.nt.ca

 

Teachers' Survey & Draw Details
Sondage à l'intention des enseignants & détails sur le tirage

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[Complaint Process] [Publications] [Education]
 [Posters] [Conferences]

Complaint Process

Complaint Form & Guide [HTML] [PDF] [Français]

Information Sheets:

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Publications

Guidelines:

Annual Report of the NWT Human Rights Commission


NWT Human Rights Act [PDF - Bilingual]

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Education

School Projects

For TEACHERS:

  • Teachers' Newsletter 2009 [PDF] [Français]
    Includes information on human rights resources sent to your school and a survey & draw for teachers.

  • Draw Details [PDF] [Français]
    The survey ended on December 1st. Thank you to all the survey participants.

  • Draw Winners [PDF] [Français]

For STUDENTS:


International Human Rights Day


NWT/Yukon Public Service Announcements [PSAs]

  • Human Rights Are Everyone's Business - Discussion Guide for PSAs

    High School Edition [PDF]
    Middle School Edition [PDF]

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Posters

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Conferences

Gathering Wisdom, Yellowknife, June 2007

The NWT Human Rights Commission hosted a national human rights conference in Yellowknife in June 2007 titled: "Gathering Wisdom". The conference was the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA)'s annual national conference. To access conference materials [click here].

 

 

[Special Events] [Public Meetings] [Community Visits]
[New Publications] [Press Releases]

What's New? 

Special Events

Human Rights at Work: Duty to Accommodate
A full day workshop for employers

The NWT Human Rights Commission invites employers to a full day workshop on their legal duty to accommodate employees. The workshop will be held on Thursday, February 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the second floor Boardroom of the Greenstone Building, Yellowknife. The cost of the workshop includes a lunch, refreshments and materials. Enrollment is limited to 12 participants, so register early. The deadline to register is February 22, 2010. For more information call 669-5575 or fill out the attached registration form. Cost: $50.00 [Workshop Poster] [Registration Form]

Commission Awards Laptop to NWT Teachers

Seven teachers won a laptop after completing an on-line survey conducted by the NWT Human Rights Commission. The seven winners were amongst 232 survey participants from 28 communities. The survey gave teachers a chance to tell the Commission how it can support human rights education in the classrooms. The NWT Human Rights Commission would like to thank everyone for taking the time to participate in our on-line survey. The following draw winners will receive a MacBook computer loaded with resources to teach human rights in the classroom.

Congratulations to:

Beaufort-Delta: Jean-Pierre Langlois
Dehcho: Nadine Downey Chaulk
Sahtu: Hal Dyck
South: Slave Christopher Aitken
Tlicho: Lisa Paul
Yellowknife: Gerard Landry
Yellowknife: Steve Boss

Press release: [English] [Français]
Draw details: [English] [Français]

Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Share Your Story

Do you have a personal story related to human rights? Have members of your family, your ancestors, or people in your community had an experience of discrimination, freedom, or opportunity that needs to be shared?

Your experiences can help shape the permanent exhibitions and public programs of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Your story will become part of our archive of oral histories so that others can learn from your experiences.

To share your story call 1-877-295-6639, e-mail rsvp@humanrightsmuseum.ca or go online at www.humanrightsmuseum.ca/share-your-story.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is Canada's fifth national museum, due to open in Winnipage, Manitoba in 2012. For more information visit www.humanrightsmuseum.ca.

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Public Meetings

Notice of February 2009 Commission Meeting

The NWT Human Rights Commission is meeting on February 26 & 27, 2010.  The meeting is open to the public on Saturday, February 27, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.  For information on attending the meeting, please contact us.

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Community Visits

The NWT Human Rights Commission visited Behchoko

The NWT Human Rights Commission was in Behchoko on September 25 and 26, 2008. Various presentations were given to community members to inform them of their rights.

The NWT Human Rights Commission visited Hay River

The NWT Human Rights Commission participated in the Hay River Trade Show on September 6 and 7, 2008. This was a great opportunity to meet with the community and to provide information about the NWT Human Rights Act , the Comission's role and our complaint process.

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Recent Publications

November 2, 2009
The NWT Human Rights Commission's 2008/2009 Annual Report has been tabled at the Legislative Assembly [PDF] [Français]

April 1, 2009
NWT Human Rights Act - amended [Bilingual - PDF]

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Press Releases

SPECIAL EVENTS

  • Commission awards laptop to NWT teachers, December 10, 2009 [PDF] [Français]
  • Commission announces Respect Everyone Everywhere winners on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008,[PDF] [Français]
  • Commission launches a human rights campaign in schools, September 22, 2008  [PDF] [Français]
  • CASHRA Website Project joint news release, September 16, 2008 [PDF] [Français]
  • NWT Human Rights Chairperson named head of national human rights organization, July 8, 2008 [PDF] [Français]
  • The NWT and Yukon Human Rights Commissions win award for PSA at Houston International Film Festival, May 4, 2006 [PDF]
  • Invitation to celebrate International Human Rights Day on December 9, 2005 [HTML] [PDF]
  • Joint initiative by northern Human Rights Commissions at Human Rights Day celebrations, December 5, 2005 [HTML] [PDF]
  • Celebrating International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2004 [HTML] [PDF]

For more information on International Human Rights Day or to view Public Service Announcements please go to the education section under 'Resources'.

COMMUNITY VISITS

  • Hay River, January 26, 2010
  • Fort Providence, September 15, 2009
  • Behchoko Visit, September 25-26, 2008
  • Hay River Visit, September 6-7, 2008
  • Delta Visit, March 21, 2007 [HTML]
  • Fort Resolution, October 16, 2006 [HTML]
  • Fort Simpson, November 18, 2005 [HTML]
  • Hay River, September 7, 2005 [HTML]
  • Fort Smith, August 31, 2005 [HTML]
  • Inuvik and Norman Wells, April 11, 2005 [HTML]

PUBLICATIONS

  • NWT Human Rights Commission releases its first Annual Report, October 21, 2005 [HTML] [PDF]

 

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About Us

The NWT Human Rights Commission is made up of four part-time Commission Members, two full-time Directors, three full-time staff, and four part-time Adjudicators.

Commission Members

Commission Members are responsible for human rights education and promotion. They are appointed by the Legislative Assembly. Commission Members work part-time.

Mary Pat Short, Chair

Mary Pat Short has made her home in the Northwest Territories since 1980, residing in small communities and in the regional centre of Fort Smith where she lives currently. She is proud to have been an educator for 34 years and has taught students from the primary level to adults. Mary Pat held elected and appointed positions with the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association both regionally and territorially. For seven years, as Chairperson of the Status of Women Committee, she represented NWT teachers at the national level. Mary Pat Short has been the Chairperson of the NWT Human Rights Commission since the Commission was founded in 2004.

Yacub Adam, Commission Member

Yacub Adam, originally from Malawi, currently lives and works in Yellowknife as a political consultant.  He has provided consulting services to private companies, government corporations, government departments, and Ministers in the Northwest Territories.  He has served as Chair of the Aurora College Board and Chair of the Aurora Research Council.  Yacub hold degrees in Politics from various Universities in Britain.  In his academic career, he has lectured in various fields of politics at universities in West Africa and the UK. Yacub brings to the Commission a very personal interest in human rights, his academic background, as well as his varied life experiences of having lived and worked in three continents.

Rita Mueller, Commission Member

Rita Mueller has recently taken on the position of Director of Early Childhood and School Services for the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Education, Culture and Employment. She moved to the Department of Education from Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School in Behchoko. Rita began her teaching career at CJBS in 1994 where she worked as a teacher until becoming the principal of the school in 1998 until Sept 30, 2007. Since 2006 she has also contributed to the educational mandate of the NWT Human Rights Commission as a Commission Member.

Tammy Rogers, Commission Member

Tammy, born and raised in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, is of Métis of Gwich’in descent.  A recent graduate of Aurora College, she holds a Diploma in Management Studies, a Diploma in Accounting and a Diploma in Theology.  During her career she has worked in the areas of Finance, Administration and Human Resources in both the GNWT and for Aboriginal Governments – (Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC)). She has been involved with several volunteer organizations in the past including Western Arctic Business Development Services, Aboriginal Finance Officers Association, and Social Assistance Appeal Committee Member.  Her current activities include being a Board Member for her Church, a Landlord, a Figure Skating Coach, and a mother of an active three year old. Tammy became a Commission Member in 2006.

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The Office of the Director of Human Rights

The Director and the Deputy Director are appointed by the Legislative Assembly.

Thérèse Boullard, Director

Thérèse Boullard worked for the BC Human Rights Commission and its predecessor, the BC Council of Human Rights, for 10 years. She has acted in a variety of positions, including Human Rights Officer, Policy Analyst, and Manager of Education and Communication. She has also conducted investigations for the Canadian Human Rights Commission. In addition to her domestic human rights work, Thérèse has worked in Latin America as an international electoral observer. She has observed and written reports on the electoral processes for national elections in Guatemala (1999), Mexico (2000), and El Salvador (2003 & 2004).

Deborah McLeod, Deputy Director

Deborah McLeod received her PhD from the University of Alberta in 1996 and was a Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria when she and her husband decided to move to Inuvik in 1998. Deborah spent five years as a senior manager with health and social services in Inuvik, first as Director of Communication and Planning and later as Director of Population Health/Strategic Initiatives. Deborah has had a lifetime interest in human rights and equality issues and is excited to be part of the first Human Rights Commission in the Northwest Territories.

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Commission Staff

Commission staff are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission office. The staff provide information about the Human Rights Act to individuals and organizations and answer inquiries.

Isabel Gauthier, Human Rights Officer

Isabel Gauthier has been a community organizer in various grass root organizations for eight years. Her interest in this field stems from her studies in Leadership and Cultural Research. Through her experience with women, youth and cultural organizations, Isabel has worked towards social change by creating awareness around such issues as poverty, marginalization and community development. Isabel assists the Commission with the complaint process and with its education mandate. She brings much enthusiasm and experience to the position.

Carolyn MacKay, Human Rights Officer

Carolyn has lived in Yellowknife for nine years.  Before coming to the Commission, she worked as a teacher, adult literacy instructor and most recently as an information and support coordinator at a disability organization.  Through her work, she has had the pleasure of traveling to communities across the Northwest Territories and meeting people from diverse cultures.  In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking and taking her husky-cross dog on long walks.  She is very excited to be at the Commission and looks forward to working with people in her role as Human Rights Officer.

Linda Noseworthy, Administrative Officer

Linda arrived in the Northwest Territories from Newfoundland in 1996. For the past 13 years, her career included working in municipal, private and non-government sectors. Her formal education includes bookkeeping and administrative training. Linda not only brings a wide variety of experiences and skills but also a mature outlook to her role in this office as Administrative Officer. She finds joy in spending time with family and friends, especially her grandchildren. Human rights, equality and respect are life skills she wishes to pass on to her two grandsons who are of Aboriginal and Caucasian descent. She is very honoured to be working for the NWT Human Rights Commission.

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Adjudication Panel

The Adjudication Panel hears human rights complaints, makes decisions on complaints, and orders remedies. The members of the Adjudication Panel are appointed by the Legislative Assembly.

Adrian Wright, Chairperson

Mr.Wright's biography will be posted soon.

Joan Mercredi, Adjudicator

Joan Mercredi was born and raised in Fort Smith where she now has a small law practice. Her legal career has taken her to various places including Nunavut where, among other things, she worked on the new Nunavut Human Rights Act. This work included everything from initial community consultations to implementation issues. Joan’s past law practice has also included human rights litigation and work in the Northwest Territories as a Deputy Fair Practices Officer.

Jim Posynick, Adjudicator

Jim was a resident of the Northwest Territories from 1982 until 2008. He has recently moved to Creston, BC. Jim has been involved in justice programs and services in the North and elsewhere in Western Canada since 1969. He was admitted to the Northwest Territories Bar in 1992 and between 1995 and 2004 held an appointment as a Fair Practices Officer under the former Fair Practices Act. Jim is presently studying both the theoretical and practical implications of group conflict leading to an MA in Conflict Analysis and Management from Royal Roads University, Victoria, B.C.

Karen Snowshoe, Adjudicator

Ms. Snowshoe's biography will be posted soon.

 

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