Lorraine Hewlett

Lorraine Hewlett is a long-term northerner (40+ years) with a Master’s Degree in Political Science. For three decades, she has actively worked in the progressive community and served as a member of Ecology North, Alternatives North, Fracking Action North, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Amnesty International; and served as the President of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour (NWT/Nunavut). Her political activism has taken her throughout the NWT, and to the Yukon and Nunavut. For four (4) years, she also served as the NWT/Prairies representative on the Board of Directors for the Council of Canadians, the leading social action organization in Canada. This gave Lorraine excellent governance experience as a Board Member of a national organization, made up of passionately driven grass-roots members; and full-time staff members. Lorraine’s track record spans three (3) decades of bringing progressive change to the North, which includes having:

• Successfully organized Global Frackdown protests/ meetings which led to a territory-wide movement that blocked fracking in the NWT;
• Convinced the City of Yellowknife to assume responsibility for the municipal recycling program (previously handled by Ecology North volunteers);
• Initiated the movement that successfully lobbied for a territorial Anti-Poverty Strategy;
• Collaborated to create a Mental Health (alternative) Court in the NWT;
• Served on the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition which successfully created transitional housing for single men, youth, and women; and
• Established an Anti-Bullying Day (Pink Shirt Day) which has been held annually at the NWT Legislative Assembly for the past six (6) years.