Thebacha | Don Jaque, Michael Miltenberger, Louis Sebert

Michael Miltenberger has held this riding since 1995, when he beat former assembly speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell. He's since defeated her in three of the last four elections (she didn't run in 2003). The results of the 2007 and 2011 elections, which featured a three-way race including former Fort Smith mayor Peter Martselos, were nearly identical.

This year he's up against two new challengers: local lawyer Louis Sebert and Dan Jaque, publisher of the Northern Journal newspaper.

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The town of Fort Smith (pop. 2,536) is the sole municipality in this riding. Situated on the Alberta border, the community was founded as a trading post in the 1870s, when it was a key stop on the portage around the Slave River rapids. Now linked by road to Hay River, the town is a transportation, tourism and education hub. There remains an unpaved section of that road, but the Conservatives promised $14 million to pave it early in the federal election campaign. It remains to be seen if the new government will uphold that pledge.

The Thebacha campus of AuroraCollege is located here, as is the headquarters of nearby Wood Buffalo National Park. Slightly more than half the residents are aboriginal mostly Chipewyan and Cree. The Salt River Reserve and Smith Landing First Nation are located within this riding.

Unemployment is well below the territorial average here, at 7.1 percent.

Don Jaque

Jaque was born, raised and educated in Alberta, but he's spent the last 40 years in the Northwest Territories as a businessman. He's perhaps best known as the publisher of the Northern Journal (formerly Slave River Journal) newspaper in Fort Smith. He also sits on the boards of numerous local clubs and associations.

He says economic development is the most important issue in this election. He wants to see Fort Smith team up with Hay River, indigenous groups and chambers of commerceto build up the South Slave region's economy by increasing the Talston hydro dam's capacity, expanding Aurora College's Thebachacampus and increasing tourism. He also says local needs have been neglected during Miltenberger's time as a cabinet minister.

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Michael Miltenberger

Miltenberger was born in Ottawa but raised in the Northwest Territories since 1962. He has a degree in sociology and is a journeyman carpenter. He spent 20 years working for the GNWT in both health and social services and public works. Before entering territorial politics, Miltenberger spent six years on Fort Smith town council, including two and a half years as mayor. He served as environment minister and finance minister in the last government.

Miltenberger says the key job for the next Legislative Assembly is to focus on the economic development and settling land claims, particularly in the wake of devolution. He says the government needs to continue to watch its budget while investing in infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Other priorities for Miltenbergerinclude action to deal with climate change and concluding transboundary water agreements.

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Louis Sebert

Sebert was born in Ottawa and came to the North 32 years ago to practice law. He's lived in Fort Smith since 1984, practicing law there. He also sat on the board of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation for seven years and taught as a part-time instructor at Aurora College for 30 years. He also sat on Fort Smith town council for a total of 14 years.

For Sebert, the most important issue in this election is government transparency. He says the GNWT needs an ombudsman like nine of the 10 provinces do. That position is especially important, Sebert says, because the consensus system lacks a formal opposition. He also supports better funding for municipalities, more decentralization of territorial government jobs and a $15 minimum wage.

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