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Press Release - Opinion (Op-Ed) 07 July 2025
- Aurora College Must Not Leave Its Communities Behind
- Aurora College Must Not Leave Its Communities Behind
- For more information - PDF File Copy -> TLC Press Release - 07 July 2025
Thebacha Leadership Council
Thebacha / Fort Smith
Press Release – Opinion (Op-Ed) 07 July 2025
- Aurora College Must Not Leave Its Communities Behind
Thebacha Leadership Council - Fort Smith / Thebacha
Aurora College was built in the North, for the North. Its roots run deep in our communities — from Fort Smith and Inuvik to every student who has walked through its doors to build a better life for themselves and their families.
But today, that legacy is at risk.
Behind closed doors, decisions are being made that steadily move leadership and administrative power away from the very communities that built this institution. The trend toward centralizing Aurora College’s senior leadership and decision-making in Yellowknife threatens to weaken Fort Smith and Inuvik — the two original campuses that have nurtured Northern talent for decades.
I write this not just as Mayor of Fort Smith, but as an Aurora College alumna and a Northerner who knows the value of local education. I know what it means for a young parent, a mature student, or an Indigenous learner to access programs where they live, surrounded by community support. When we lose local leadership, we lose the trust and responsiveness that make that possible.
Centralization might look efficient on paper, but it undermines what makes Aurora College strong: a real commitment to the regions. This is not just a Fort Smith issue — it is about equity for every small community in the NWT that depends on Aurora College to be accessible, responsive, and rooted in place.
Fort Smith has proudly hosted the headquarters of Aurora College for decades. We have invested our people, our time, and our local knowledge. Inuvik has done the same. Now we see decisions that strip away local leadership, concentrate power in the capital, and dismiss the voices of the very communities that gave the College life in the first place.
The Northwest Territories is vast. If we want our people to thrive, education must meet Northerners where they are — not force them to uproot to Yellowknife for every program or decision. Decentralization is not just good policy; it is reconciliation in action. It is capacity-building. It is how we keep families here, how we grow local economies, and how we ensure our young people see a future in the North.
We cannot afford to watch this happen in silence. I call on the Aurora College Board of Governors and the Government of the Northwest Territories to publicly commit to protecting meaningful leadership roles in Fort Smith and Inuvik. I call on them to involve local communities in real decision-making — not token consultation. And I call on Northerners to stand with us in demanding an institution that stays true to its purpose: serving all regions, not just the capital.
If we want Aurora College to grow into a polytechnic university that reflects the North’s diversity and spirit, it must remain anchored in the communities that built it. Fort Smith and Inuvik deserve better. Our students deserve better. The future of the North deserves better.
Let’s keep this College truly Northern — and truly ours.
Thebacha Leadership Council
Thebacha / Fort Smith
- Mayor Dana Fergusson, Town of Fort Smith
- President Allan Heron, Fort Smith Metis Council
- Chief Toni Heron, Salt River First Nation
- Chief Lorraine Macdonald, Tthebatthi Denesuline Nation
For further information:
Mike Couvrette
TLC Coordinator
Tele: (867) 872-0243 / email: [email protected]
Thebacha / Fort Smith
Press Release – Opinion (Op-Ed) 07 July 2025
- Aurora College Must Not Leave Its Communities Behind
Thebacha Leadership Council - Fort Smith / Thebacha
Aurora College was built in the North, for the North. Its roots run deep in our communities — from Fort Smith and Inuvik to every student who has walked through its doors to build a better life for themselves and their families.
But today, that legacy is at risk.
Behind closed doors, decisions are being made that steadily move leadership and administrative power away from the very communities that built this institution. The trend toward centralizing Aurora College’s senior leadership and decision-making in Yellowknife threatens to weaken Fort Smith and Inuvik — the two original campuses that have nurtured Northern talent for decades.
I write this not just as Mayor of Fort Smith, but as an Aurora College alumna and a Northerner who knows the value of local education. I know what it means for a young parent, a mature student, or an Indigenous learner to access programs where they live, surrounded by community support. When we lose local leadership, we lose the trust and responsiveness that make that possible.
Centralization might look efficient on paper, but it undermines what makes Aurora College strong: a real commitment to the regions. This is not just a Fort Smith issue — it is about equity for every small community in the NWT that depends on Aurora College to be accessible, responsive, and rooted in place.
Fort Smith has proudly hosted the headquarters of Aurora College for decades. We have invested our people, our time, and our local knowledge. Inuvik has done the same. Now we see decisions that strip away local leadership, concentrate power in the capital, and dismiss the voices of the very communities that gave the College life in the first place.
The Northwest Territories is vast. If we want our people to thrive, education must meet Northerners where they are — not force them to uproot to Yellowknife for every program or decision. Decentralization is not just good policy; it is reconciliation in action. It is capacity-building. It is how we keep families here, how we grow local economies, and how we ensure our young people see a future in the North.
We cannot afford to watch this happen in silence. I call on the Aurora College Board of Governors and the Government of the Northwest Territories to publicly commit to protecting meaningful leadership roles in Fort Smith and Inuvik. I call on them to involve local communities in real decision-making — not token consultation. And I call on Northerners to stand with us in demanding an institution that stays true to its purpose: serving all regions, not just the capital.
If we want Aurora College to grow into a polytechnic university that reflects the North’s diversity and spirit, it must remain anchored in the communities that built it. Fort Smith and Inuvik deserve better. Our students deserve better. The future of the North deserves better.
Let’s keep this College truly Northern — and truly ours.
Thebacha Leadership Council
Thebacha / Fort Smith
- Mayor Dana Fergusson, Town of Fort Smith
- President Allan Heron, Fort Smith Metis Council
- Chief Toni Heron, Salt River First Nation
- Chief Lorraine Macdonald, Tthebatthi Denesuline Nation
For further information:
Mike Couvrette
TLC Coordinator
Tele: (867) 872-0243 / email: [email protected]
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