The Government of the Northwest Territories is now accepting applications for Early Learning and Child Care Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year. 

Yellowknife (August 6, 2025) – As the new school year approaches, École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School will implement new measures to improve drinking water safety and address concerns about lead. While the exact source of lead in these schools has not been confirmed, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is taking precautionary steps to remove potential sources and ensure students and staff have safe drinking water.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today following the public release of the third-party investigation into elevated lead levels in school drinking water systems:

“As a parent, a lifelong resident of Yellowknife, and the Minister of Education, I want to begin by acknowledging how difficult and distressing this situation has been for families, students, and staff. I understand the frustration and concern that many are feeling.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) continues to take action to address concerns about the presence of lead in water in some Yellowknife schools. Since our last update, which shared preliminary testing results, we have received Stantec’s final reports, which confirms preliminary findings and have also completed an internal review to understand why initial action was delayed when the water testing initiative first rolled out in 2025, and to identify ways to improve.

YELLOWKNIFE (July 10, 2025) –Effective September 1, 2025, the Northwest Territories minimum wage will increase from $16.70 per hour to $16.95 per hour. This increase is based on the percentage changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the average hourly wage for 2024.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has been monitoring the recent enhancements made to the Income Assistance programs to ensure they are meeting the needs of NWT residents. 

Starting July 1, 2025, seniors and persons with disabilities have the option to apply either to the Income Assistance program or to the Income Assistance for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities program.  This person-centered change in approach affirms individuals’ right to determine which program aligns best with their unique needs and circumstances.

The second Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) application intake period for 2025 will open from 9am MST on July 2 to 5pm MST on July 9, 2025. Eligible individuals can apply online on the Northwest Territories Nominee Program website.

The first intake for applications was open from February 27 to March 6, 2025. Following this initial intake, 21 nomination spaces are still available out of the 150 nominations for 2025.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today on federal immigration policy and the urgent need to restore the Northwest Territories’ nominee allocations:

“Earlier this month in Ottawa, I raised a clear and urgent concern with the federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship: the Northwest Territories needs its full nominee program allocation restored—and we need a more flexible, Northern-focused approach moving forward.

Today the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) released the What We Heard Report – Approaches to Early Learning and Child Care Space Creation as well as the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Framework.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received follow-up lead testing results for École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School. These results are part of an ongoing assessment of lead in school drinking water systems being conducted by engineering and environmental consulting firm Stantec, which began earlier this spring following initial concerns about water quality. A final report summarizing the findings and next steps is expected shortly.