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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The voice for conservatism in the North grew a little dimmer this week following the death of Dave McPherson on Sunday. He died after a long bout with cancer at age 57.

Dave McPherson was a regular speaker at city council meetings, giving voice to a variety of issues the city faced. - NNSL file photo

Involved in local politics since arriving in the city in July 1980 from Fort Frances, Ont., he is remembered as a champion of conservative values, a former Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce president and longtime mortgage broker who served as regional vice-president of the national council of the Conservative Party of Canada up to his death. In the past he had been the Western Arctic Conservative Association president.

According to friends and acquaintances, McPherson loved offering his opinion and was remembered as a key promoter of the merged federal Conservative Party of Canada at the riding level after 2003.

"We are all very sad to hear the news and the national party has been contacted and are aware and are very sad," said Sandy Lee, director of regional affairs in the Northwest Territories for Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq.

"For more than 30 years, through thick and thin, he was the voice of the Conservative Party in the North."

McPherson ran McPherson Mortgage Brokerage Yellowknife for many years and helped a number of high-profile businesses get established in the North, according to friends in 1996. Before that, he was the manager of home ownership with the NWT Housing Corporation from the mid-1980s to 1996.

Between 2001 and 2003 McPherson served two terms as president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce during an important period in the city's economic history.

Steven Meister, who was treasurer during McPherson's second term and who later himself became president, said McPherson was an important advocate for small businesses during a period when they really needed a voice.

"One of the things that was instrumental during his presidency was that at that time there was a resurgence of business back into Yellowknife with the building and opening of the diamond mines," said Meister.

"He was pushing for changes in the downtown core, more development on Old Airport Road and the extension road from Kam Lake out to Highway 3."

Meister said during the city's economic slowdown in the late 1990s and immediate upsurge with the establishment of the diamond mines, McPherson was one of the bigger advocates working with the city to push housing development as vacancy rates were at a historic low.

"Niven Lake was happening at that time and he was pushing the city to open up properties for development," he said.

Kam Lake MLA David Ramsay had a working and personal relationship with McPherson after first being elected to city council in 1997. Ramsay says one of McPherson's high points came after the merger between the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance in 2003.

"He always put a lot of effort into the local Conservative riding association, but he became much more involved in the riding association after the merger happened," said Ramsay.

"He was a real political animal and always had an opinion on everything. He didn't mind telling you what he thought and I had a great deal of respect for his opinion."

Earlier this year, McPherson sat on the territorial judicial remuneration tribunal as a GNWT representative. He served in that capacity two other times - in 2004 and 2008 - in order to determine whether or not territorial court judges should get higher salaries.

Beyond politics, however, McPherson developed friendships with many people in Yellowknife, especially as a regular patron of the Black Knight Pub and through sports like golf and squash.

He travelled with friends and business people annually to the Aurora Open golf tournament held on the last weekend of April each year in Oliver, B.C.

He was also involved with the Two Nations Cup held at the Yellowknife Golf Club and played on winning teams both in 2010 and 2011. He is also remembered for regularly contributing money to men's and ladies golf nights every summer.

McPherson is survived by his wife Wendy, son Leyland, mother Patricia McPherson and brothers Patrick and Mike. He is also survived by mother-in-law Marion Ballan, aunts Belle and Jackie. He is predeceased by his father Arnold McPherson.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Rev. Joey Royal will be officiating and guests are invited to make a donation to a favourite charity in lieu of flowers.

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