{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Rylund Johnson | honorific_suffix = MLA | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Summerland, British Columbia | office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories | term_start = October 1, 2019 | term_end = November 14, 2023 | predecessor = Cory Vanthuyne | successor = Shauna Morgan | constituency = Yellowknife North | party = Green <small>(federal)</small><ref name="MTNN" /> | partner = | occupation = Lawyer }}
'''Rylund Johnson''' is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 2019 election.<ref>Ollie Williams, [https://cabinradio.ca/22582/news/politics/nwt-election-2019/watch-live-nwt-election-2019-results-expected-after-8pm/ "Only Nahendeh left to elect MLA, 18 others are elected"], ''Cabin Radio'', October 1, 2019.</ref> He represented the electoral district of Yellowknife North.<ref>{{cite news |last=Minogue |first=Sara |title=Should the Yellowknife fire department still respond to fires along the Ingraham Trail? |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yellowknife-ingraham-trail-fire-debate-1.5698547 |access-date=September 14, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=August 25, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Last |first=John |title=Ousted minister, and other N.W.T. MLAs, not attending 'relationship building' retreat |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mla-caucus-retreat-nokleby-1.5704076 |access-date=September 14, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=August 28, 2020 }}</ref>
==Political positions== Johnson is a member of the federal Green Party, describing himself as a part of the "millenial green wave addressing political apathy."<ref name="MTNN">{{cite web |last1=Peacock |first1=Emelie |title=28-year-old Yk lawyer announces bid for Yellowknife North seat |url=https://www.mytruenorthnow.com/41074/28-year-old-yk-lawyer-announces-bid-for-yellowknife-north-seat/ |website=My True North Now |access-date=12 March 2021 |language=en-CA |date=3 July 2019}}</ref> He proposed that the Northwest Territories Power Corporation bring in revenue through district heating, which would therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Minogue |first1=Sara |title=MLA says N.W.T. power corporation should get into district heating business {{!}} CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ntpc-district-heating-1.5911605 |website=CBC |access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref>
Johnson is an advocate for drug decriminalization following similar actions in the city of Vancouver.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blackenbury |first1=Meaghan |title=Yellowknife MLA pushes for drug decriminalization |website=Cabin Radio |url=https://cabinradio.ca/50889/news/health/yellowknife-mla-pushes-for-drug-decriminalization/ |access-date=12 March 2021 |date=7 December 2020}}</ref> Johnson also supports a system of guaranteed basic income and advocated for the implementation of such a system with fellow Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Is now the time for guaranteed basic income in the NWT? |website=Cabin Radio |url=https://cabinradio.ca/36080/news/economy/is-now-the-time-for-guaranteed-basic-income-in-the-nwt/ |access-date=12 March 2021 |date=4 May 2020}}</ref>
== Personal life == Johnson worked as a lawyer and as a co-founder of Makerspace YK, a nonprofit.<ref>{{cite web |title=NWT Election 2019: Rylund Johnson's Yellowknife North interview |website=Cabin Radio |url=https://cabinradio.ca/20918/news/politics/nwt-election-2019/nwt-election-2019-rylund-johnsons-yellowknife-north-interview/ |access-date=12 March 2021 |date=5 September 2019}}</ref> He was formerly an admin for the BDSM workshop group Northern Bound.<ref>Jessica Davey-Quantick, [https://web.archive.org/web/20190203051819/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mbzjep/what-its-like-being-in-a-sex-club-in-canadas-far-north "What It's Like Being in a Sex Club in Canada's Far North"], Vice Sex, January 22, 2019.</ref>
Johnson was the target of parody in a YouTube video titled "The Greatest Speech Never Heard in the NWT Legislative Assembly," which was originally shared on the Dehcho First Nations Facebook page and subsequently acknowledged by him.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitehouse |first1=Simon |title=Satirized Rylund Johnson video remains a mystery |url=https://www.nnsl.com/yellowknifer/satirized-rylund-johnson-video-remains-a-mystery/ |website=NNSL MEDIA |access-date=12 March 2021 |date=5 March 2020}}</ref>
When he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, he lived on a houseboat named the Scandimaniac, which also is the name of his podcast.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dispatches from the Scandimaniac |url=https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/dispatches-from-the-scandimaniac-rylund-xYg2eUV9_BW/ |website=Listen Notes |access-date=12 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Johnson moved to the Northwest Territories in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rylund Johnson {{!}} Legislative Assembly of The Northwest Territories |url=https://www.ntassembly.ca/meet-members/mla/rylund-johnson |website=www.ntassembly.ca}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Rylund}} Category:Living people Category:People from Summerland, British Columbia Category:Politicians from Yellowknife Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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