Dennis Bevington

Dennis Bevington, born on March 27, 1953, in Fort Smith, is a prominent Canadian politician known for his impactful tenure as the Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories from 2006 to 2015. Before his time in Parliament, Bevington served as the mayor of Fort Smith from 1988 to 1997, during which he championed the recognition of the Chipewyan and Cree languages, making the town officially quadrilingual.

A dedicated businessman and environmental advocate, Bevington first entered the political arena in the 2000 federal election as the NDP candidate for Western Arctic, where he faced a significant defeat against incumbent Ethel Blondin-Andrew. Undeterred, he ran again in 2004, losing by a mere fifty-three votes in one of the closest races of that election cycle.

In a remarkable turnaround, Bevington successfully unseated Blondin-Andrew in the 2006 election, winning by a margin of one thousand one hundred fifty-eight votes. Throughout his political career, he was a staunch advocate for changing the name of his riding from Western Arctic to Northwest Territories, a challenge he tackled with determination. After tabling three private member's bills on the matter, he finally achieved success in 2014 when the name change was incorporated into a broader bill.

Bevington's political journey came to an end on October 19, 2015, when he was defeated for re-election by Liberal candidate Michael McLeod. His legacy, marked by his commitment to environmental issues and community recognition, continues to resonate in the Northwest Territories.