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April 1 Souvenir Edition
February 12, 1982
To describe the April, 1982 plebiscite
on division of the Northwest Territories as a breakthrough is an understatement.
After the people of the Northwest Territories voted "Yes" to division,
the creation of Nunavut became inevitable. Here is the question that NWT residents
voted on in April of 1982, wording that was set by the NWT legislative assembly
in December.
Wording of division question
Nunatsiaq News
IQALUIT The big
question NWT residents will face on April 14 is: "Do you think that the
Northwest Territories should be divided? Yes or No.
Also on the ballot form
will be an explanation of how the question came about.
The text of the explanation
is:
"In response to the
a proposal to create a new territory in the Eastern part of the Northwest Territories,
the legislative assembly agreed to hold a plebiscite.
"If a majority of
the voters agree that the Northwest Territories should be divided, the legislative
assembly will request the government of Canada to divide the Northwest Territories
and create a new territory in the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.
"If the government
of Canada agreeds to divide the Northwest Territories, the legislative assembly
will also request that a federal boundaries commission be appointed to consult
with the people of the Northwest Territories and to recommend the exact boundaries
of the new territory."
The wording of the question
was approved by the assembly in December.
NWT residents who have
lived in the Territories three years as of April 14, who are Canadian citizens
and who 19 years of age or older, are eligible to vote in the plebiscite.
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