Meet Stephen Van Dine, Yellowknife's City Manager.
Stephen Van Dine began his career with the City of Yellowknife in 1991 as planner before joining Municipal and Community Affairs with the Government of the Northwest Territories. He returned to University to obtain a master’s degree before being appointed Branch Manager for Health and Social Services in Inuvik in 1993. In 1997, he joined the federal government through the NWT Regional Office of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and went on to occupy progressively senior executive-level positions – including the Assistant Deputy Minister at Crown Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in 2015 and completing his federal public service career as Vice President of Strategic Policy and Investments at Parks Canada in 2022. Stephen started a consultancy practice later that year specializing in Arctic Sustainable Development.
Stephen served in Arctic positions including Alternate Senior Arctic Official for Canada at the Arctic Council and has negotiated two Canada/United States Joint Statements on the Arctic. He has successfully led dynamic teams delivering major federal Northern and Arctic projects such as:
- Co-management legislation in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut;
- Launch and refinements of Nutrition North Canada;
- Construction commencement of Canadian High Arctic Research Station;
- Establishment of Polar Knowledge Canada;
- Transfer of land and resource management responsibilities from Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories;
- Opening and leading the Northern Project Management Office; and
- Initiating the creation of Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework.
Stephen graduated from Sir John Franklin high school and obtained degrees in Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University, holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen's University, and an Executive Certificate from the Kennedy School of Government. He is actively engaged in the Toronto Metropolitan University Senate and serves as a board member for Purpose Forward, a registered not-for-profit organization. Stephen is a devoted father of two and enjoys a variety of summer and winter sports as well as travel.