This is a list of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assemblies dates and legislative sessions from 1870–present. The current capital is Yellowknife since 1967. There have been twenty-eight legislatures since becoming a territory in 1870.
AssemblyDurationGeneral ElectionElected membersAppointed membersNotesTemporary North-West Council1870–1876up to 18Vacant until 28 December 1872. Council was legally required to have between 7 and 15 appointed members. Its initial sitting had 11 members and at times had up to 18.1st Council of the North-West Territories9 sessions1876–1888146Elected members won their seats in scattered by-elections and the 1885 elections. Elected members were from eight single-member ridings and three two-member ridings. Not all of the Territory was represented; elections were centred on the most populated areas.1st North-West 3 sessions1888–1888 election223Six members were elected in two-member ridings and 16 in single-member ridings, but they did not cover the entire Territory. This Assembly also had three judges appointed as members to be legal experts.2nd North-West Legislative Assembly5 sessions1891–1 October 18941891 election26Two members were elected in a two-member riding and the rest in single-member ridings, but they did not cover the entire Territory.3rd North-West Legislative Assembly4 sessions1894–13 October 18981894 election29All members were elected in single-member ridings, but they did not cover the entire Territory.4th North-West Legislative Assembly4 sessions1898–26 April 19021898 election31All members were elected in single-member ridings, but they did not cover the entire Territory. This was one of only two assemblies to use political parties.5th North-West Legislative Assembly3 sessions1902–31 August 19051902 election35All members were elected in single-member ridings, but they did not cover the entire Territory. This was one of only two assemblies to use political parties.2nd Council of the Northwest Territories1905–1951up to 6No council was appointed until 1921, but provisions existed in law for four council seats. The Northwest Territories was instead run by the Department of Mines and Resources Canada and no legislation under territorial jurisdiction was passed or updated in this period. Between 1921 and 1951 a council existed in Ottawa with up to six seats, including the Director of Mines and Resources. No resident of the Territory was appointed to the council until 1947.1st Northwest Territories Legislative Council1951–19541951 election35All three elected members were from District of Mackenzie.2nd Northwest Territories Legislative Council1954–19571954 election45Elected members were from four ridings all in the District of Mackenzie.3rd Northwest Territories Legislative Council1957–19611957 election45Elected members were from four ridings all in the District of Mackenzie.4th Northwest Territories Legislative Council1961–19641960 election45Elected members were from four ridings all in the District of Mackenzie.5th Northwest Territories Legislative Council1964–19671964 election45Elected members were from four ridings all in the District of Mackenzie.6th Northwest Territories Legislative Council1967–19701967 election75From this point on, every region in the Territory was part of a riding and every riding elected one representative.7th Northwest Territories Legislative Council1970–19751970 election1048th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1975–19791975 election159th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1979–19831979 election2210th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1983–19871983 election2411th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1987–19911987 election2412th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1991–19951991 election2413th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1995–19991995 election2414th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly6 sessions1999–20031999 election19This was the first election after Nunavut split from the Territory.15th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly6 sessions2003–20072003 election1916th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly6 sessions2007–20112007 election1917th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly5 sessions2011–20152011 election1918th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly3 sessions2015–20192015 election1919th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly2 sessions2019–20232019 election1920th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly1 session2023–present2023 election19
See also List of Northwest Territories general elections History of Northwest Territories capital cities
Notes No members sat in Council between 1870 and 1872 and 1905 – 1921. Provisions existed for appointment from seven to fifteen members of the council in the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land Act.
References Temporary Government of Rupert's Land Act, 1869 accessed 13 April 2006