Commissioner of the Northwest Territories

Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Badge of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Flag of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Incumbent Gerald Kisoun since 14 May 2024
Style	Honourable
Appointer	Governor-in-Council
Formation	24 August 1905
First holder	Frederick D. White
Website	www.commissioner.gov.nt.ca

The commissioner of the Northwest Territories (French: Commissaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is the Government of Canada's representative in the Northwest Territories. Similar in certain functions to a lieutenant governor, the commissioner swears in the members of the legislative assembly, swears in members of the executive council, assents to bills, opens sessions of the legislative assembly, and signs other government documents such as Orders in Council.

Earlier commissioners were mostly deputy ministers in various ministries (Minister of the Interior, Mines, Mines and Resources).

As commissioners are appointed by the Government of Canada, they are not a vice-regal representative in the territory — that is, unlike in Canada's provinces, there is no such thing as a "territorial Crown" analogous to the provincial Crowns. The commissioner represents the federal government and must follow any instructions of the Cabinet or the relevant federal minister, currently the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.

Since 1980, the territories have had self-government, with the legislature choosing a government leader or premier, in addition to electing members of parliament to the Parliament of Canada.

Commissioners of the NWT

Main article: List of Northwest Territories commissioners

From	To	Name
24 August 1905	27 September 1918	Frederick D. White
27 September 1918	31 March 1931	William Wallace Cory
31 March 1931	1 May 1934	Hugh H. Rowatt
1 May 1934	3 December 1936	vacant (Roy A. Gibson acting)
3 December 1936	14 January 1947	Charles Camsell
14 January 1947	14 November 1950	Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside
14 November 1950	15 November 1953	Hugh Andrew Young
15 November 1953	12 July 1963	Robert Gordon Robertson
12 July 1963	2 March 1967	Bent Gestur Sivertz
2 March 1967	15 April 1979	Stuart Milton Hodgson
15 April 1979	2 October 1989	John Havelock Parker
2 October 1989	16 January 1995	Daniel L. Norris
16 January 1995	26 March 1999	Helen Maksagak
26 March 1999	31 March 2000	Daniel Joseph Marion
31 March 2000	7 April 2005	Glenna Hansen
29 April 2005	28 May 2010	Tony Whitford
28 May 2010	10 May 2016	George Tuccaro
10 May 2016	18 September 2017	vacant (Gerald W. Kisoun acting)
18 September 2017	14 May 2024	Margaret M. Thom
14 May 2024	Incumbent	Gerald Kisoun

Deputy commissioners

Main article: List of Northwest Territories deputy commissioners

See also

• Lieutenant-Governors of Northwest Territories (1869-1905)

External links

• Office of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (NWT)
• Official Handbook for Commissioners of the Territories (Canada)