Premier R.J. Simpson issued the following statement today following his participation in the community celebration of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government Final Self-Government Agreement in Norman Wells:

“This weekend, I had the honour of joining President Sherry Hodgson and the community of Norman Wells to celebrate a moment generations in the making. The ratification of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government Final Self-Government Agreement marks a major step forward in the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę journey to reclaim and renew their system of governance.

To help alleviate financial pressures on residents and local businesses resulting from the ongoing fuel airlift resupply in Norman Wells, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will provide financial support to offset increased transportation costs for gasoline, motive diesel, and diesel home heating fuel.

Construction of phase one of the Prohibition Creek Access Road (PCAR) is complete and open for public use.

This first section of PCAR is a 6.7-kilometre stretch of new all-season highway from Canyon Creek to Christina Creek, south of Norman Wells. Combined with the previously built Canyon Creek All-Season Access Road, there is now a total of 20.7 kilometres of the seasonal Mackenzie Valley Winter Road accessible year-around, improving the safety, reliability and resilience of the Northwest Territories transportation system in the face of climate change.

The fire ban in effect at the McKinnon Territorial Park in Norman Wells has been lifted. 

NWT Parks reminds park users that campfires should only be lit in designated fire pits and must always be kept under control.  Keep a bucket of water, sand and a shovel handy.  Be sure to extinguish your fire before you go to sleep or when you leave the site. Remember that if your fire is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.

Due to high temperatures and very dry conditions in the Sahtu Region, the Town of Norman Wells has implemented a fire ban on open air fires within municipal boundaries. Effective immediately and until further notice, a fire ban is now also in place for MacKinnon Territorial Park.

Camp stoves, enclosed BBQs and propane-fueled cooking and heating devices are permitted for use in NWT Parks. They must be placed within regulation fire pits and should not emit a flame more than 0.5 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres in height.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will conduct an emergency exercise at the Norman Wells Airport on Thursday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Airport staff and first responders in the community will test their emergency response plan in a crashed aircraft scenario. The goal is to ensure that all responding agencies are well prepared and coordinated in the event of a real emergency.

There may be large amounts of black smoke coming from the airport during this time.

Cabinet Members of the 18^th Legislative Assembly and Premier Bob McLeod met with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated Chairperson Charles McNeely, presidents of the Sahtu Land Corporations, and the Sahtu Dene Council Chiefs in Norman Wells, NT on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

This was the sixth meeting of the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated (SSI) and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) since they signed the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding in June 2015. 

The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including:

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated (SSI) for the advancement of the Mackenzie Valley Highway (MVH) project.

Wally Schumann, Minister of Infrastructure and Charles McNeely, SSI Chair signed the MOU during the GNWT-SSI bilateral meeting today in Norman Wells.

The MOU outlines how the GNWT and SSI will cooperate on the advancement of the MVH project through the environmental review and regulatory processes.