Yellowknife’s Agrifood Future: Melissa Syer Responds to TAA Questions
Yellowknife’s Agrifood Future: Melissa Syer Responds to TAA Questions
As part of the 2026 municipal election, the Territorial Agrifood Association (TAA) reached out to mayoral candidates with questions about the future of Yellowknife’s agrifood sector.
We asked candidates to share their perspectives on two areas that are important to the growth and resilience of our local food system:
Reviving year-round, commercial-scale agriculture in Yellowknife
Helping small food businesses open and operate downtown
We are sharing the responses we receive to help inform conversations about Yellowknife’s food system, local businesses, food security and the role our city can play in supporting the broader agrifood sector.
Below is Melissa Syer’s response.
1. Reviving year-round, commercial-scale agriculture
Melissa Syer highlighted the importance of local food for northern families and communities, while recognizing that backyard gardens and the summer Farmers Market alone cannot address Yellowknife’s food vulnerability.
She pointed to the 2023 evacuation as a clear reminder of how quickly northern supply chains can be disrupted.
Syer also acknowledged that many of the major levers affecting agriculture fall under the responsibility of the GNWT and federal government. However, she identified several areas where the City of Yellowknife can have a direct impact, including land, zoning, servicing and the cost of doing business.
Identifying the barriers
If elected, Syer said she would want the City to work directly with existing and prospective commercial growers to identify the practical barriers to operating at scale in Yellowknife.
These could include:
Land availability
Water
Sewer and other servicing
Power
Permitting
Transportation
Other operating costs and regulatory barriers
From there, she said municipal policies should focus on the barriers the City can realistically address.
Supporting year-round food production
Syer proposed reviewing zoning and development rules so that year-round food production—including greenhouses and controlled-environment agriculture—is clearly permitted in appropriate areas rather than being handled on a case-by-case basis.
She also identified water and servicing costs as an important issue for commercial food producers, particularly in areas such as Engle where delivered water can significantly affect the viability of a business.
She pointed to the closure of Boreal Cultivation as an example of a situation the City should learn from.
Syer also said food production should be considered when the City plans and brings land to market, including land transferred from the GNWT.
Food security and northern resilience
Syer described food security as part of the broader conversation around Arctic sovereignty and northern resilience.
“A North that can't feed itself during a highway closure or an emergency isn't as resilient as it should be.”
She said Yellowknife should be making the case for local food production at federal tables, particularly as investment in northern defense, infrastructure and other nation-building projects increases.
She also highlighted Yellowknife’s role as a supply hub for smaller communities across the territory, suggesting that strengthening food production in the city could have benefits beyond Yellowknife itself.
Making Yellowknife a place where people choose to live
Syer also connected local food with quality of life and community-building.
She said fresh, local food contributes to making Yellowknife a place where people want to live, raise families and stay.
While she does not believe the City alone can make Yellowknife food self-sufficient, she said she would commit to listening to people working in the sector, addressing municipal barriers and advocating with other levels of government for stronger northern food security.
2. Helping small food businesses open and operate downtown
Syer also addressed the challenges faced by small food businesses, drawing on her previous experience leading the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce.
She said she regularly heard concerns from restaurant owners, caterers, food retailers and entrepreneurs trying to get started, including:
Permitting delays
Rising insurance costs
Unclear requirements
High shipping and operating costs
Difficulty finding and housing staff
Having to navigate requirements from multiple regulators
She emphasized the contribution these businesses make to the community through local employment, sponsorships and donations.
Making it easier to navigate City requirements
Syer said she would support:
A clear, plain-language pathway for food businesses that brings together City requirements and GNWT Environmental Health requirements
A known point of contact at City Hall to help applicants navigate the process
Continued modernization of business licensing and permitting
Fewer steps and clearer service standards for turnaround times
Creating opportunities downtown
Syer also identified local food as an opportunity to showcase Yellowknife to visitors and support businesses as tourism and other northern activity grows.
She proposed exploring:
Designated, pre-approved downtown locations for mobile vendors
Simpler permits for seasonal and event vending
Fees that are proportionate for small operators
Greater promotion of local food through tourism partners
A vibrant and welcoming downtown
Syer connected the success of downtown food businesses with the broader experience of the downtown area.
She said safety remains important for business owners, employees and customers, and pointed to tools such as visible patrols, better public spaces and partnerships with the RCMP, GNWT and community organizations.
She also noted that having more people downtown—eating, shopping and gathering—can itself contribute to a more active and welcoming downtown.
TAA’s role in the conversation
At TAA, we believe the agrifood sector extends far beyond farming alone.
A strong northern food system connects producers, processors, food businesses, retailers, restaurants, consumers and food-waste recovery. Building that system requires collaboration across governments, businesses, organizations and communities.
Municipal decisions around land, zoning, infrastructure, permitting and business development can have a meaningful impact on whether agrifood businesses can start, grow and remain viable in the North.
We appreciate candidates taking the time to engage with these questions and share their perspectives on the future of Yellowknife’s agrifood sector.
We encourage residents, businesses and people working across the agrifood value chain to stay engaged in the conversation about local food, economic development and northern resilience.
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