Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, August 15, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Tony Whitford's office is a warm place.

Sitting on the ninth floor of the Northwestel tower in Yellowknife, a wide expanse serves as a sitting room, meeting centre and headquarters for the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories - but it could easily be someone's decked-out living room.

Whitford looks over his office's collection of carvings from around the North. Recently, Whitford had the carvings repaired at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. - John Curran/NNSL photo

A long row of freshly-repaired carvings line a thick oak table in Tony Whitford's meeting area. He pokes and prods at them, explaining how they were repaired and where. A walrus tusk here, a seal paw there.

"They did a great job on these," he says of the work two art conservators from the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre did on the collection.

With a checkered shirt and black tie, masked by a bright red-and-white Canada fleece vest, Whitford is casual but not too casual dressed for whatever might come through the doors.

As he sits, Whitford's thick fingers clasp and unclasp as he works his way through this yarn and that, all the while having the air of a man telling a school child a very important - and very funny - story.

But that's what he feels the job is all about: education.

"I like to go (to schools) and explain the role of government, particularly the role of the commissioner, and the role of the political system in the North" he says, "how the MLAs and all the elected officials fit in and where the commissioner fits in."

While helping young people understand how their territory functions is important, this is more than just a social studies lesson - Whitford focuses on the importance of school in general: staying in if you're there, and going back if you're not.

"I myself have been over that road," he says.

Whitford left school to work before finishing Grade 10, taking on a series of jobs: truck driver, deck hand, mechanic and welder, to name a few.

"It's many years later that it had become painfully obvious that I had to go on."

He returned to school, a decision he has often credited to his late wife, Elaine. In 1977, at the age of 36 and after five years of study and upgrading, he graduated with a BA in social work from the University of Calgary.

"Doors open," he says of higher education. "Many doors open after that."

"That's what I portray to younger people that are maybe at a crossroads in their life. I share my experience as an example to them.

"Sometimes it catches on."

The inspirational message is derived from experience. Whitford rose from the decks and trucks to be a Fort Smith town councillor, an MLA, cabinet minister, speaker, deputy commissioner and finally commissioner in 2005 - and most of that was accomplished while working in careers related to social work.

Now, Whitford says, he wants to see heroes get their due. Through the rebirth of the commissioner's awards, which he plans to start giving out this fall, Whitford hopes to reward exceptional individuals for community service and bravery. The nominations have been few so far, however.

"They've been a little slow coming in," Whitford says. "Surely there are more heroes out there waiting to be recognized.

"We don't go out looking for heroes," he adds, as the process is supposed to be a "selection of the public" but Whitford isn't above doing the dirty work if he has to.

"We may go and shake the bushes a little more ourselves," he says in his raspy baritone chuckle.

When you ask Whitford about the future, he envisions long, winding roads that he can walk, places he can see and friends he can visit - the further away the better.

"I've been working since I was 14 years old," the 66-year-old says "It's second nature to me.

"Retirement sounds good."

Part of Whitford's plan is to continue retracing the steps of his uncle, Eugene Mercredi, who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

"He went along the coast of Normandy all the way to the Netherlands in '45," Whitford says. He plans to walk the path as much as possible, taking the train when he gets tired or the weather gets bad.

Whitford says the original trip was postponed in 2005, when he was appointed commissioner. He's gone about one-third of the way so far.

"I'll have to dust off those plans."

While Whitford makes ready to break out his dust brush, there's just one thing standing in the way.

Well, two, actually. No, wait, make that three.

First (and second), there's the two communities Whitford has yet to visit during his nine remaining months as commissioner: Ulukhaktok and Colville Lake.

Next, is his obligation to the NWT, which has a funny habit of calling him back into action.

"We'll see," he says to that.

He says meeting people from all walks of life is what makes the job so much fun.

"This job, this is not an arduous job, this is something you enjoy," he says. "Where else do you get invited to meet and greet and shake hands with community elders and young people and mayors?"

"I'm a very personable person, so that helps," he says, laughing.