Current Press Releases

YELLOWKNIFE (February 23, 2009) – Three energy policy experts have been appointed by the Chair of the Government of the Northwest Territories Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee, the Honourable Bob McLeod, to engage Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, Aboriginal governments and key stakeholders in a territory-wide discussion on electricity regulation, rates and subsidy programs.

Public dialogues across the NWT will be facilitated by Mark Cleveland, who brings extensive experience in policy development and northern affairs, Gerry Forrest, with over 30 years of experience in areas of national and provincial electricity regulation and rates in the public utilities field, and Doug Matthews, who brings expertise on NWT energy policy and northern issues.

Residents and communities have raised a number of issues over the past year. A move towards greater privatization of the NWT electricity sector, the role and approach to sector regulation and the response of government subsidy programs are all issues that will define the future of our electricity system.

Public meetings this year will be held in Inuvik on March 4th, Norman Wells on April 1st, Fort Simpson on April 8th, Hay River on April 21st, Fort Smith on April 22nd and Yellowknife on April 23rd.

“We are asking northerners to contribute to the development of a vision for the future of our electricity system in the NWT,” said Minister McLeod.

Biographies of the three facilitators are attached below.

For more information contact:

Drew Williams
Cabinet Communications
Office of the Premier
Tel: (867) 669-2304
E-mail: drew_williams@gov.nt.ca

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Electricity Review Facilitators

MARK CLEVELAND - Mark Cleveland has over thirty years of public policy experience in the North, with most of those years at a senior level. Mr. Cleveland’s experience includes six years as President of Arctic (Aurora) College and ten years as a Deputy Minister in the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services, Executive, as well as serving as the Secretary to the Financial Management Board of Cabinet and Comptroller General for the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Cleveland is well-known for vision, commitment to innovation, and his dedication to the North. His knowledge of Northwest Territories (NWT) communities and experience in building sustainable communities was gained through many years of working closely with community and territorial organizations. Mr. Cleveland has been responsible for conceiving, organizing and managing a wide range of organizational and program change initiatives and this experience will be critical in the public discussions for the Electricity Review.

G. D. (Gerry) FORREST – G. D. (Gerry) Forrest is a professional public administrator who has been involved in the Canadian federal, provincial and municipal public policy and energy regulatory arena for nearly four decades, the last 15 years of which has been in the energy regulatory sector. Gerry’s career path includes roles such as Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs, Urban Affairs and Rural Development and former Chair and CEO of the Public Utilities Board of Manitoba.

Gerry has become a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the field of public administration and public utility regulation and has served as a university guest lecturer and conference/workshop speaker across Canada and the United States. In 2003, through USAID and the World Bank, Gerry was invited to make a presentation on the regulation and organization of public utilities to the senior administrators from a number of third world countries including Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Gerry has been recently engaged by the province of Saskatchewan to update their regulatory system. The Northwest Territories will gain from his vast national and international experience.

DOUG MATTHEWS – Doug Matthews has been involved for over 30 years in northern resource development with experience in each of the mining, petroleum, pipeline and electricity sectors of the Northwest Territories economy.

Doug spent twenty-five years with the Government of the Northwest Territories, living in Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Yellowknife, has worked with most communities in the NWT, and has sought to resolve energy issues with groups ranging from hamlet councils to committees of the United States Senate.

He is keenly aware of the challenges facing northerners, including first-hand experience with the high cost of living in our communities and the need for northern control of our energy future.