Today, the Premier’s Awards for Excellence winners were announced. Due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, no award ceremony was held this year. Instead, the recipients were notified by email and the physical awards are being mailed out.

The annual Premier’s Award for Excellence program recognizes the outstanding achievement of Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) employees or teams who continue to strive for excellence.

This year, honours were presented in two separate categories.

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Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome all Members back to the House for this sitting of the 19th Legislative Assembly. There is important work to be done over the next six weeks, and I look forward to working with each of you as we advance the priorities of this government.

Premier Caroline Cochrane issued the following statement on resource development in the Northwest Territories:

Premier Caroline Cochrane will be in Ottawa this week to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of the federal Cabinet to discuss Northwest Territories (NWT) priorities and advance Northern interests.

The social and economic challenges that existed before the COVID-19 have only been accelerated as a result of the pandemic. Premier Cochrane will be discussing these economic and social challenges that impact our territory, such as infrastructure, roads, broadband, cleaner sources of energy, and affordable housing.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is launching a new campaign focused on residents learning to live with COVID-19 as we adapt to a new normal.

Starting today, Setting Your COVID-19 Safety Nets will promote how layers of protection outlined in Emerging Wisely 2021 can work together to reduce risk so we can continue to protect ourselves and our communities from the virus.

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Mr. Speaker, today I am speaking about family and gender violence. This is a painful subject for so many people. I will now pause for a moment, to give survivors the opportunity to choose whether they would like to listen.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will re-open Highway 7 at the BC/NWT border near Fort Liard to permitted inbound and outbound traffic two days a week starting Tuesday, November 30

Travellers will be able to use the border crossing on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. only, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (split hours)

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Mr. Speaker, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, the health and well-being of Northwest Territories and residents has been our number one priority.

Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the Northwest Territories issued the following statement on the implementation of the Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat, - Inuvialuit Family Way of Living Law by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation:

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation on their important work of building a child and family services legislative framework in support of their members. 

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Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleagues back to the House for the resumption of the Second Session of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Despite this sitting being delayed as a result of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the territory, I expect this has been a busy time for all of us as we focus on the important work we have been elected to do by the people of the Northwest Territories.