Nick G. Sibbeston (born November 21, 1943)[1] is a retired Canadian politician, serving from 1985 to 1987 as the fourth premier of the Northwest Territories.
Nick G. Sibbeston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator for Northwest Territories | |
| In office September 2, 1999 – November 21, 2017 | |
| Nominated by | Jean Chrétien |
| Appointed by | Roméo LeBlanc |
| Preceded by | Willie Adams |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Dawn Anderson |
| 4th Premier of the Northwest Territories | |
| In office November 5, 1985 – November 12, 1987 | |
| Commissioner | John Havelock Parker |
| Preceded by | Richard Nerysoo |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Patterson |
| MLA for Mackenzie-Laird | |
| In office December 21, 1970 – March 10, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | William Lafferty |
| In office October 1, 1979 – November 21, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | William Lafferty |
| Succeeded by | district abolished |
| MLA for Deh Cho Gah | |
| In office November 21, 1983 – October 5, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | district abolished |
| MLA for Nahendeh | |
| In office October 5, 1987 – October 15, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | Jim Antoine |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 21, 1943 Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Non-affiliated |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal (until 2014) Independent Liberal (2014-2016) |
| Spouse | Karen Sibbeston |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Profession | politician |
Sibbeston was a Senator representing the Northwest Territories from 1999 until 2017, when he resigned on his 74th birthday, a year prior to reaching the mandatory retirement age. He was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northwest Territories representing Mackenzie-Laird from 1970 to 1975 and from 1979 until 1991.
Early life and career
editSibbeston is Métis from Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories.[2] Considered a residential-school survivor,[3] he attended residential schools in Fort Simpson, Providence, Inuvik, and Yellowknife. He went on to attend the University of Alberta, where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Law degrees.
Career
editTerritorial politics
editIn 1970, Sibbeston was elected to a four-year term on the North West Territorial Council, after which he was defeated by William Lafferty in the 1975 Northwest Territories general election.
He was re-elected in the 1979 general election and would continue to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly until 1991.[2] During his second term in the Legislative Assembly, Sibbeston was elected to serve in the Executive Council (cabinet).
In a 1981 incident, Sibbeston was thrown out of the territorial legislature for throwing a cup of coffee at Peter Fraser, the speaker of the legislature, during an intense debate.[2]
He would serve six years in Cabinet until he was elected to serve as the fourth Premier of the Northwest Territories from 1985 until 1987.
Civil servant
editAfter 1991, Sibbeston worked briefly for the Government of Northwest Territories, as a justice specialist and as a public administrator for Deh Cho Health & Social Services. He also served four years on the Canadian Human Rights Panel/Tribunal, as well as being a cultural and Slavey-language advisor for the television program North of 60.
Federal politics
editSibbeston was appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 2, 1999, on the advice of Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien.[3] In the Senate, one of his goals was to find a new name for the Northwest Territories.[4] He also focused on issues such as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, infrastructure in the North, climate change mitigation, and increasing Indigenous engagement in the economy.[3]
On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced that all Liberal Senators, including Sibbeston, were removed from the Liberal caucus, and would continue sitting as Independents.[5] According to Senate Opposition leader James Cowan, the Senators will still refer to themselves as Liberals even if they are no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[6] Sibbeston agreed with Trudeau's decision, saying that the Northwest Territories also did not have a party system.[2] That same month, Sibbeston defended his absence from 51 out of 70 votes in the previous parliamentary session, his reason being the nastiness of partisan party politics in Ottawa, which he was not used to in the north.[2]
On May 5, 2016, Sibbeston left the Senate Liberal caucus to sit as an independent senator.[7]
In September 2017, Sibbeston announced that he would resign on November 21, his 74th birthday. Sibbeston said that he would focus on his family, travel, and spirituality as well as translating Catholic liturgy into the Dene language.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Biography". Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Nick Sibbeston blames 'party politics' for low attendance". CBC News. January 31, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "N.W.T. Senator Nick Sibbeston resigns". CBC News. September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ One Land, Many Voices: Creating the New Northwest Territories (PDF) (Report). Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. 2011. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ Cudmore, James (January 29, 2014). "Liberal leader says senators not welcome in caucus". CBC News. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ "Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "SenateSeatingPlan" (PDF). May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
Further reading
edit- Sibbeston, Nick (2015). You will wear a white shirt : from the northern bush to the halls of power. Madeira Park, BC: Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 978-1-77162-055-0.