The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is seeking feedback from dental hygienists, the public, and other interested parties on proposed Dental Hygiene Profession Regulations.
The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has lifted the Health Order previously in place at Range Lake North School, following confirmation that lead levels in drinking water no longer exceed Health Canada guidelines.
All fountains and fixtures used for drinking water and food preparation have been replaced, and follow-up testing has confirmed overall water quality. Standard operating procedures are being developed to support ongoing maintenance — including filter replacement and routine re-testing — to ensure the water remains safe over time.
The Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) has opened the 2025 Patient Experience Questionnaire to the public. The questionnaire is available to all northerners, in print and online.
The questionnaire has been designed to help the Health and Social Services system to better understand the quality of care provided to Northerners when receiving care in the Northwest Territories. Responses will help HSS improve services and monitor progress over time.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has relaunched the We Need to Talk About this Stuff Campaign. The campaign is a video series featuring Northerners sharing their personal experiences with mental health, trauma, addiction, coping, and healing.
As the new school year begins, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is providing an update on drinking water safety at three Yellowknife Education District No. 1 schools: École William McDonald Middle School, Range Lake North School and N.J. Macpherson School.
Mitigation measures are being implemented at all three schools based on expert guidance and proven best practices. These steps are designed to ensure long-term drinking water safety.
At École William McDonald Middle School:
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received follow-up testing results confirming elevated lead levels in the drinking water at N.J. Macpherson School.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), in partnership with REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), has launched a three-year project to provide free and anonymous access to health and harm reduction supplies through Our Healthbox machines.
Premier R.J. Simpson today announced the appointment of Mr. Alan Doody as the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), effective August 19, 2025.
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.
Minister of Health and Social Services Lesa Semmler has completed a successful visit to the Sahtu Region, where she was joined by Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) Public Administrator Dan Florizone along with MLA McNeely. The visit included stops in the communities of Tulita, Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells.
