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.

Phased increases to most compliance and licensing fees are expected to come into effect starting June 15, 2026. Specific fees related to National Safety Code (NSC) commercial vehicles (commercial vehicles weighing over 4,500 kilograms) are expected to come into effect starting July 1, 2026; this includes Deh Cho Bridge tolls.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is investing approximately $140 million in highway infrastructure improvements across the territory as part of the 2026 summer construction season.

Well-maintained highways connect NWT residents and communities to each other and help support sustainable communities by providing access to goods and economic opportunities.

This annual program helps ensure the safety, reliability, and long-term sustainability of the NWT transportation network while supporting economic activity and connecting communities.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is advising residents that applications are now open for the Extended Health Benefits benefit year that starts on September 1, 2026.

This applies to residents who have a valid NWT health care card and do not have benefits from another program, employer, or private insurance provider. Seniors 60 and older who are already enrolled in Extended Health Benefits do not need to reapply. Residents eligible for Non-Insured Health Benefits or Métis Health Benefits are also not impacted.