Our Council Chair - Jennifer Smith
Jennifer Smith has a long-standing interest in land claims implementation, the foundations of co-management, and how they contribute to effective wildlife management in the Yukon. Originally from Whitehorse, she earned a diploma of Renewable Resource Management from Yukon College. For over a decade she worked as the Executive Director for the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) in the areas of conservation planning, species management, and policy. She is passionate about the Yukon North Slope and upholding the principles of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
Members
Awaiting Appointment
Canada
Awaiting Appointment
Shayla Arey
Inuvialuit Game Council
My name is Shayla Arey, and I am from Aklavik, Northwest Territories. I am proud to be Inuvialuit and to be connected to the land, water, wildlife, and traditions that have been part of our family and community for generations. I grew up learning the importance of being on the land and respecting the animals that provide for our families. Hunting, fishing, trapping, berry picking, travelling on the land, and spending time at Shingle Point with my family are important parts of who I am. I believe strongly in learning from our Elders and experienced land users and sharing that knowledge with our children and youth.
As a Inuvialuit member of the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), I hope to bring the voice and perspective of an Inuvialuit community member, land user, and mother. I am committed to supporting respectful decision-making, protecting our wildlife and lands, and helping ensure that Inuvialuit traditional knowledge continues to have an important place in wildlife management.
Marc Cattet
Government of Yukon
Marc joined our Council in 2021 as the Yukon Government alternate (and then as the full member in the summer of 2022). He is the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Branch for the Department of Environment and has been in Whitehorse since 2020.
Prior to 2020, Marc spent much of his previous career as a wildlife researcher and veterinarian, with his work focussed primarily on the assessment of health in large mammals and how human activities impact their health. Coincidentally, his initiation into wildlife research and management began in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in 1982.
Billy Storr
Inuvialuit Game Council
Billy was born in Aklavik and has spent much of his life supporting his community. He is a lifelong harvester and fisherman. He especially loves to fish for Dolly Varden and grayling. His many community commitments have Billy traveling all over the ISR and beyond; despite his busy schedule, he tries to fish along the way, sharing whatever he catches.
Some of his contributions include 17+ years with the Porcupine Caribou Management Board, and sitting on the Inuvialuit Game Council, District Education Board, and the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee. He has also served as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Aklavik. In his "spare time" he coaches indoor soccer and other sports - he loves to see youth excel and how sport motivates them in life!
Alternates
Michelle Gruben
Inuvialuit Game Council
Michelle Gruben is originally from Tuktoyaktuk, but has called Aklavik home for the past 20 years. Michelle enjoys spending time out on the land and listening to stories from Elders in the region. Since 2009 she has worked for the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Commitee as Resource Person, and was recently appointed to the Wildlife Management Advisory Council - North Slope. Michelle strongly believes in conservation and that we must all work together for the future.
Carrie Mierau
Yukon Government
Carrie Mierau lives and works in Dawson City, Yukon. She has spent her career working in parks and protected areas within the Yukon. Starting as a STEP student in 1993 with Parks Canada and holding various roles at both Klondike National Historic Sites and Kluane National Park and Reserve.
In 2012, she came to the Department of Environment, Yukon Parks as Operations Manager, North. She is proud to work with passionate and dedicated people to protect and manage territorial parks in the northern Yukon, including Tombstone Territorial Park, Ni''iinlii Njik (Fishing Branch) Territorial Park, and Qikiqtaruk- Herschel Island Territorial Park.
Laurence Carter
Government of Canada
For several years, Laurence worked, studied, and lived in the Yukon North Slope and adjacent Inuvialuit communities. Her connection to the region began as a master's student studying the relationship between reintroduced muskox and Porcupine caribou on the Yukon North Slope and Richardson Mountains. She later moved to Inuvik and worked as Ecologist Team Leader with Parks Canada, overseeing ecological research and monitoring in Ivvavik National Park. Originally from Montreal, Laurence now lives in Whitehorse with her family and works with the Canadian Wildlife Service's Protected Areas team.
Evelyn Storr
Inuvialuit Game Council
Evelyn was born and raised in Aklavik. She brings vast knowledge and experience to any work that she does. She has worked for the Hamlet of Aklavik, the Aklavik Housing Association and the Northwest Territories Power Corporation in Inuvik. Evelyn served as the President of the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee and is an active member of the Inuvialuit Investment Board. Evelyn currently lives in Inuvik.
Staff
Allison Thompson
Program Manager
Allison started her career in wildlife co-management in 2017. Since then, she has worked with Inuvialuit, government, and other Indigenous peoples on initiatives to support healthy wildlife populations, species at risk initiatives, landscape-scale conservation planning, and efforts to collaboratively manage species across political boundaries. Throughout this work, Allison has focused on ways of equitably bridging Indigenous knowledge with Western science in wildlife management, from research to decision making.
Allison worked for WMAC (NS) from 2018-2021. She then spent a year and a half working with the Canadian Wildlife Service in the polar bear management unit, supporting polar bear conservation across Canada and internationally. Allison returned to work for WMAC (NS) in July 2023.
Ryan Durack
Program Manager
Ryan grew up in the Montreal area and spent his summers in the Eastern Townships. After receiving degrees from both Concordia and McGill, he worked 10 forestry seasons across the Boreal forest of Canada, often travelling the winter months. These Boreal experiences left a lasting impression, culminating in the decision to relocate permanently to the Yukon.
Ryan and his partner initially landed in Teslin, where he managed the George Johnston Museum for 5 years. He also worked as a substitute teacher, an education assistant, and volunteered as a fire fighter, eventually starting a family. Despite their love for Teslin, his family decided to relocate to Whitehorse so their children could learn French.
It is unclear whether Ryan found WMAC or WMAC found Ryan, but he is thrilled to dive into the realm of co-management, to support Council in implementing the IFA, and to contribute to the highly collaborative team at WMAC (NS)!