Yellowknife (Sep 29/03) - Outgoing Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Tony Whitford remembers the first time he faced an uncertain future.

Tony Whitford, the popular Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, has decided he won't run for re-election in November.

The year was 1973 and Whitford, along with his wife and two young children, packed most of their worldly belongings into a camper and headed off to the University of Calgary, where the 32-year-old was about to begin a degree in social work.

"I remember arriving in Calgary on that first day," he recalls.

"It was the middle of rush-hour and the sun was shining right in my eyes. It was so overwhelming, I had to pull into the parking lot of a restaurant and wait for the traffic to slow down," Whitford says.

Despite Calgary culture shock and the responsibility of raising a family, Whitford would go on to earn his degree.

"I didn't know exactly what to expect when I first arrived in Calgary, but the whole experience taught me that uncertainty isn't something to be feared."

Whitford, who announced last week that he would not seek a fourth term in the assembly, is approaching his looming departure -- he insists it's not a retirement --

with the same attitude.

"I'm excited about the future and what lies ahead," Whitford says. "I'm moving into a different phase of my life."

Whitford, the current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, said he reached the decision to leave the political arena after consulting with friends and family members.

"I believe everybody should serve the public, whether it be in the assembly, or a town council or a school board," Whitford says.

"It was time for me to get out of the way and give somebody else a chance."

Whitford began his legislative career in 1988, when he secured the Yellowknife South seat in a byelection. He was acclaimed to the same position three years later, before suffering a four vote loss to Seamus Henry in 1995.

"I lost by .02 per cent, but who's counting?" he jokes.

The defeat didn't dampen his enthusiasm to serve another term.

He ran again in 1999 and grabbed nearly 80 per cent of the vote in the newly created riding of Kam Lake.

"I told myself at the beginning of my political career that I would serve three terms. It just took a little longer than I had expected," he says.

When Whitford reflects on his career in politics he's pleased with what he was able to accomplish.

He's especially proud of helping the NWT's fledgling recycling program get off the ground and convincing his fellow MLAs to revamp drivers' licenses in the early 1990s.

"My goal, from the outset, was to help the people. And I think I was able to do that," Whitford says.

But the amiable Whitford, who some described as too nice for politics, said he was often frustrated by the intractable political process.

"I learned early on that you can't do everything," he says.

"Even as a minister you can't just wave a magic wand. You do your part, and when your (term) is up, other people take over. Over time, things get done."

For now, he's looking forward to life after politics.

A former justice of the peace, Whitford said he loves performing marriages. He estimates he's conducted nearly 400 ceremonies in the last 30 years.

His most memorable came a few years ago, when a couple from France were married atop Pilot's Monument -- in the middle of February.

"They came all the way here just to be married. Needless to say, the ceremony was short."

Whitford is also a well known host of several area fundraisers. His booming voice and easy-going attitude make him one of the most sought after emcees in Yellowknife.

"I don't have many skills but that's one of them," he jokes. Even though there was a certain finality to Whitford's announcement last week, he left the door open to a possible return to the public stage sometime in the future.

"I don't have any further political objectives... for the time being," he said.