City Manager

Stephen Van Dine is a seasoned public service leader whose career has been shaped by the North, the Arctic, and a deep commitment to building resilient communities. Appointed City Manager of the City of Yellowknife in July 2024, Stephen brings more than three decades of experience across municipal, territorial, and federal governments—spanning community planning, health and social services, sustainable development, reconciliation, and Arctic governance.

The North is not just a policy focus for Stephen—it’s home. After moving to Yellowknife from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia as a teenager, he graduated from Sir John Franklin Territorial High School and began his career with the City of Yellowknife in 1991 as an urban planner. His leadership journey quickly expanded, including an appointment as Branch Manager of Health and Social Services in Inuvik, followed by a series of senior policy and management roles across the Northwest Territories.

In 1997, Stephen joined the federal public service with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, later relocating to Ottawa and entering the executive ranks in 2002. Over the next two decades, he advanced into progressively senior executive roles, specializing in Arctic governance and sustainable development. His career highlights include serving as Assistant Deputy Minister at Crown‑Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Vice President of Strategic Policy and Investments at Parks Canada, and Senior Vice President of Public Governance at the Institute on Governance. In 2023, he founded Arctic Unlimited, a boutique consultancy focused on northern and Arctic policy.

Throughout his career, Stephen has led teams large and small on some of Canada’s most complex and consequential initiatives—implementing land claim agreements, advancing food security and health benefit programs, managing major legislative reforms, overseeing the transfer of powers between governments, negotiating international joint statements, and delivering major capital projects in the High Arctic.

A respected voice on northern issues, Stephen is a frequent writer and speaker, with publications in iPolitics, Policy Options, The Hill Times, UpHere Magazine, Substack, and the Macdonald‑Laurier Institute. He has participated in regional, national, and international conferences as a speaker, panelist, and moderator on energy, sustainable development, and Arctic security.

Stephen holds a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University, and an Executive Leadership Certificate in Energy and Sustainable Development from Harvard Kennedy School. He is the proud father of two children, Ben and Ellie, and remains deeply committed to the future of Yellowknife and the North.