Back to Search

Mayor Rebecca Alty and City Council are pleased to announce that John Collin has been selected as the City of Yellowknife’s next City Manager. Following a competitive process, which saw a significant number of skilled and accomplished applicants, John was selected by Council to take over this role effective April 9, 2024.

“I’m very pleased to welcome John to this critical role as Yellowknife moves forward with a number of important issues and priorities. John’s experience will be a huge asset to the City and the community, and City Council is looking forward to working with him, and City Administration, to move ahead productively,” said Mayor Alty.

John brings 40 years of leadership and management experience to the role.  His path began with a 35-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces where his accomplishments were recognized through successive promotions, culminating at the rank of Major-General a few years prior to retirement.  His military service saw him engaged in many domestic and overseas operations, as well as important positions teaching others and developing strategic and operational plans. Following his military career, John worked at Bruce Power and was responsible for all emergency preparedness and response at a time of heightened security concerns and awareness given the Fukushima disaster. Prior to joining the City of Yellowknife, John was the City Manager in Saint John, New Brunswick. During his 4 years in the role, and working with a gifted and professional team, Saint John addressed severe financial concerns, saw renewed growth and vibrancy, and developed many initiatives and plans to address concerns within modern cities. John and his wife, Carolyn, look forward to making Yellowknife their home.

The City Manager is the most senior official in the City of Yellowknife’s administrative structure, accountable to the Mayor and City Council for the policies and programs delivered by the staff at the City.

The City would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to outgoing City Manager, Sheila Bassi-Kellett, for her leadership over the past 7+ years and wishes her the very best as she moves on to new ventures.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to Sheila for all of her work, particularly over the past few tumultuous years, and the City appreciates her availability for corporate knowledge transition over the next couple of months,” stated Mayor Alty.