Kelvin Kotchilea to run again for federal seat as NDP candidate in N.W.T.

Kelvin Kotchilea will represent the NDP in the N.W.T. in the upcoming federal election.

Kotchilea, originally from Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., narrowly lost the 2021 federal election to Liberal MP Michael McLeod. At the time, he suggested another run might be in the wings.

This week, Kotchilea said in an interview he's feeling fairly confident about his chances of securing the seat.

"I now have two past elections under my belt ... and now my name is more familiar with a lot of the Northwest Territories people," he said, referencing his unsuccessful bid for the Monfwi riding in the territorial election earlier in 2021. "The first time around, [I] was basically an unknown name and then had to really establish myself."

The federal election is expected to be called Sunday.

Kotchilea has worked for the territorial government for 14 years, most of which has been spent with the department of Environment and Climate Change. He said he is currently the recycling program co-ordinator for the department's waste reduction management division

Kotchilea said key issues for him include the cost of living in the N.W.T. and the infrastructure issues that plague the territory. He said he'd like to secure more federal funding for the Mackenzie Valley Highway, clean energy infrastructure, and housing.

"It's kind of sad to see that in 2025, we just don't have the infrastructure, the capacity to provide the necessary services that are very important to the North," he said. "I would like to support that area."

Kotchilea said he's looking forward to door-knocking and meeting voters in person — something he wasn't able to do much of last go-around due to pandemic restrictions.

He said he views this campaign as an opportunity to hear about what the federal government has been failing at.

"You know, in the early [to] mid 1900s, we were promised a lot of things in the sense of housing, sovereignty, education, health care — and none of those promises that were made to us were ever granted," he said.

He added the legacy of residential schools still also hangs over the territory.

"We were very strong, resilient people, very self-sufficient," he said. "We're actually more backwards [now], in the sense of where we are mentally, spiritually and physically as Dene people."

He said he wants to see that turn around.