Nahendeh | A crowded field of seven candidates

Kevin Menicoche is running for another term in Nahendeh, but with six candidates running against him, who will win here is anyone's guess.

Situated in the southwest corner of the territory, Nahendeh encompasses the confluence of the mighty Mackenzie and Liard rivers, as well as Nahanni National Park and the pristine mountains along the Yukon border.

• Nahendeh candidates took part in an online election forum Monday
• Find all of our N.W.T. election coverage

The old trading post of Fort Simpson (pop. 1,244) is the district's major centre, with a population about two-thirds South Slavey. The community is a government, tourism and transportation hub, with a busy airport and a road linking it to Yellowknife. Unemployment here is close to the territorial average.

Near the B.C.border,Fort Liard (pop. 619) has become a centre for logging and gas exploration. Other communities in the district are the road-accessible South Slavey villages of Wrigley (pop. 146) and Jean Marie River (pop. 71), and the isolated Trout Lake (pop. 104) and Nahanni Butte (pop. 97), where the traditional economy remains strong.

Rosemary Gill

Rosemary Gill didn't respond to requests to participate in this profile, but her Facebook biography says she was born in Wrigley, raised in Fort Simpson, attended high school inYellowknife, completed teacher training from Aurora College in Fort Smith, and got a teaching degree from the University of Alberta. She's also taken graduate studies in aboriginal governance at the University of Victoria and iscurrently the regional program head for Aurora College.

She says the main issues in this election are housing, infrastructure, low graduation rates and literacy levels, a lack of economic development, the need for mental health and addictions services and the decline of aboriginal languages.

Campaign Facebook page

Arnold Hope

ArnoldHope was born and raised in Fort Simpson and attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton inthe 1970s and again in the 1990sto study businessmanagement. He's worked for the federal government in human resources, for the N.W.T. Power Corporation and as a heavy equipment operator. He ran unsuccessfully in Nahendeh in the 2003 and 2007 elections.

He says he's running because Nahendeh needs stronger representation in the Legislative Assembly. Major issues for him includehousing and better health care. "All the regular things, but definitely for me it's the strength and character of the MLA." He claims to have the best command of the Dene language of all the candidates and says he's outspoken, responsible and mature.

Kevin Menicoche

Menicoche was born in Fort Simpson and raised on the land, hunting and trapping with his family. He attended Grandin College in Fort Smith, andstudied atLester B. Pearson College of the Pacific and the University of Toronto. Menicoche has worked as a researcher andcommunity development worker, and a technician and safety officer for EnbridgePipelines. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2003, and re-elected in 2007 and 2011.

Menicoche says his main priority is to get an agreement-in-principle signed between the DehchoFirst Nations and the GNWT within four years, which he says is easier post-devolution. With five communities in the riding, Menicoche says transportation issues are important. Hesupports the construction of the Sahtuall-weather road. He also says the construction of more housing will help alleviate other social problems in the region.

Campaign Facebook page

Dneze Nakehk'o

Born in Yellowknife but raised in Fort Simpson (which he prefers to callLiidlii Kue), DnezeNakehk'ohas worked as a broadcaster for both APTN,CBC and, most recently, CKLB. He's studied media arts and film at colleges in Oregon, Illinois and at Grant MacEwan College in Calgary. He's also a basketball player and coach in Yellowknife, sits on the board of directors of Folk On The Rocks, and is a founder of the social justice group DeneNahjo.This is his first run for office.

Nakehk'osays dealing with the territory's issuesincluding health, education, housing and resource development all relate to dealing with outstanding issues under treaties 8 and 11 (he rejects the term "land claim"). He says the GNWT needs to develop a policy on treaties and figure out ways to make self-government agreements with First Nations work.He wants devolution extended to give more power to First Nation governments.

Campaign Facebook page

Dennis Nelner

DennisNelnerwas born in Edmonton but raised in the N.W.T. and has lived in every region of the territory. He has two college degrees and has spent his entire working life in the North. He started at age 18, working on the pipeline in Norman Wells, but most of his career working has been with aboriginal governments and small businesses. He's sat on the band and town council in Fort Simpson and on the local district education authority.

Nelner says education is the"linchpin of everything that ails us with the government." Social ills, crime, unemployment can all be improved with a more educated populace, Nelner says. He also believes there's too much focus on getting kids to go to university, instead of trades and apprenticeship programs. He also places a priority on settling land claims.

Campaign Facebook page

Randall Sibbeston

The son of N.W.T. senator Nick Sibbeston, Randall Sibbeston was born and raised in Fort Simpson. He's studied art at Emily Carr in Vancouver, music in Los Angeles, wilderness guiding in British Columbia and traditional knowledge on the land. he's worked as an architect, homebuilder, musician, artist, sculptor, farmer, and as a project manager. Sibbeston was also a Canadian Ranger for 15 years. He's served as president of the Fort Simpson Mtis Nation.

Sibbeston wants to create jobs by making it easier for Northerners to spearhead the development of the territory's natural resources. He says housing, the cost of living and quality of life are major issues too. Sibbeston says the GNWT needs reform because it's struggling to provide infrastructure and good government. He also wants to see cabinet power distributed among more MLAs to reduce the power of deputy ministers.

Shane Thompson

ShaneThompson was born and raised in Hay River but moved to Fort Simpson in 1992. He graduated from a recreation leadership course at Aurora College in Inuvik. He's spent the last 23 years as the regional recreation director for Municipal and Community Affairs. He was also the recreation director for Kugluktuk, and is a Justice of the Peace. He ran unsuccessfully in Nahendeh in the 2003 election and sat on the local DEA for six years.

Thompson says his four priorities are health, education, services for youth and improving transportation and tourism in the region. He wants to see more funding for preventative health care, housing, and mental health and addictions programs "close to home." He wants to expand phys-ed and literacy programs and build emergency shelters on the territory's highways. And he wants to see year-round road access for communities farther up the Mackenzie Valley.

Campaign Facebook page