Health and Social Services

March is National Nutrition Month

March is Nutrition Month! The link between food and good health cannot be underestimated. Registered dietitians play a vital role in nutrition guidance that supports the unique needs of NWT residents.

Eating a variety of healthy food each day helps to prevent illness, manage weight, and promote overall well being.

This Nutrition Month, practice healthy eating by:

Temporary Relocation of the Office of the Public Guardian

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) assists family members or close friends in becoming legal guardians of individuals 18-plus years of age who are unable to make decisions about their personal care or health care. If an individual has no family members or friends willing, suitable, or able to act as a guardian, the Public Guardian can take on that role.

To address immediate office space issues, as of March 1, 2024, the OPG is temporarily relocating to the 7th Floor of the Centre Square Tower.

The temporary new address is:

Temporary Relocation of the Office of the Public Guardian

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) assists family members or close friends in becoming legal guardians of individuals 18-plus years of age who are unable to make decisions about their personal care or health care. If an individual has no family members or friends willing, suitable, or able to act as a guardian, the Public Guardian can take on that role.

To address immediate office space issues, as of March 1, 2024, the OPG is temporarily relocating to the 7th Floor of the Centre Square Tower.

The temporary new address is:

Lesa Semmler: Health Human Resources Recruitment and Retention

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Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories continues to work to address the national shortage of health professionals that has led to service reductions and system impacts not only in the NWT, but across the country. Post-pandemic, this shortage has only intensified, with many health professionals resigning, retiring, or reducing their working hours. The results of our internal staff surveys and feedback sessions indicate that employee recruitment and retention challenges persist within our system.

Lesa Semmler: Weaving Our Wisdom

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Mr. Speaker, last week the Department of Health and Social Services hosted the second ever Weaving our Wisdom Gathering, for which 350 wellness leaders, Elders, and knowledge holders from across the Northwest Territories, came together to celebrate and share Indigenous community-driven wellness knowledge.

Lesa Semmler: Shared Health Priorities Agreement with Federal Government

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Mr. Speaker, last week we announced two significant bilateral agreements with the Government of Canada. These agreements secured two federal investments totaling $36.38 million dollars and demonstrate a shared commitment both to improving healthcare services for NWT residents generally, and to enhancing the supports for NWT seniors and Elders to stay at home longer as they age with dignity, close to their loved ones and community.

One Year Progress Update on the Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan

In February 2023, the Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan was released. Since the plan’s release, 50% of the action items in the Work Plan have been completed.

The Work Plan contains 24 action items for strengthening addictions and wellness programs for residents of the Northwest Territories (NWT). The items in the plan respond to the Auditor General of Canada’s recommendations, delivered in 2022.

The recently completed action items include:

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