Minister Caroline Wawzonek and Minister Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statements today as the 2026 Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference concluded in Yellowknife, marking the end of the Northwest Territories’ role as co-chair.
Minister Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains
The link below is being redistributed on behalf of Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS):
Joint Statement from Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Mines
Apply now for an Early Learning and Child Care Scholarship for the 2026-27 school year.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is advising residents of a planned telecommunications service disruption during scheduled emergency repair work by Northwestel.
The work will take place on June 25, 2026, from 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. (MST) along Highway 3. During this time, full service outages are expected, affecting phone, cellular, internet services, and 9-1-1 emergency services.
The outage is expected to impact residents in:
Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains, issued the following statement in response to the Government of Canada’s announcement that it is initiating the process to consider listing the Mackenzie Valley Highway as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act:
“Today’s announcement is an important milestone for the Mackenzie Valley Highway, for the Northwest Territories, and for Canada’s Arctic future.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is pleased to announce the three recipients of the 2026 Accessibility Impact Awards. This event is an opportunity for the Government of the Northwest Territories, the NWT Disabilities Council, and the NWT Human Rights Commission to recognize and celebrate the outstanding people and businesses advancing accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the territory.
Regulations are being developed to bring the NWT Mineral Resources Act (MRA) into effect, and your input is needed. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is gathering public feedback on the detailed policy intentions, and this round of engagements covers online map staking, blackout period, and temporary restricted areas.
This is the final of four engagements about the MRA Regulations policy intentions which began in 2025. The full list of engagements include:
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Northwest Territories (NWT) Youth Ambassadors Program. The program provides NWT youth with opportunities to build leadership skills through participation in special events and volunteer assignments.
In the past, NWT Youth Ambassadors have attended the Arctic Winter Games, Canada Winter Games, Canada Summer Games, and the North American Indigenous Games. This cohort will have the opportunity to volunteer at the 2027 Canada Winter Games in Quebec City, Quebec.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has confirmed the first case of white-nose syndrome (WNS) and the fungus that causes the disease (Pseudogymnoascus destructans or Pd) in the Fort Smith area as part of ongoing bat monitoring. White-nose syndrome is a disease threatening bats across North America. It was detected in a Northern myotis bat (Myotis septentrionalis). This is the northernmost detection of the disease in North America.
This disease does not pose any health risk to humans, and is not known to affect other species of wildlife.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is inviting residents to provide feedback on proposed changes to the Student Record Regulations under the Education Act.
The proposed amendments support the implementation of Bill 81, An Act to Amend the Education Act, No. 2, and include updates related to student program decisions.
