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Mr. Speaker, as we pass the mid-point for the 19^th Legislative Assembly, it is important to take stock of where we are as a government, and the progress we are making in fulfilling the commitments we made in our mandate.

At the beginning of this Legislative Assembly, our government tabled the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2019-2023 , which established the actions we planned to take to advance the 22 shared priorities set by this Legislative Assembly.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has started construction of the Inuvik Wind Project.

The project is a key initiative under the 2030 Energy Strategy and will reduce diesel consumption in the NWT’s largest off-grid community by 30 percent – offsetting approximately three million litres of diesel per year. The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6,000 tonnes per year and will provide economic opportunities to Northern businesses during the construction phase.

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.

Today, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek released the 2022-23 Budget, the third budget of the 19^th Legislative Assembly.

Total revenues of $2.3 billion are expected in 2022‑23 and total expenditures of $2.06 billion, which include spending for programs and services and infrastructure contributions. The 2022‑23 surplus is forecasted to be $131 million.

Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, issued the following statement on Canada’s Agriculture Day:

“Today is Canada’s Agriculture Day, celebrating a critical industry that touches everyone’s lives. In the Northwest Territories (NWT), agriculture is literally and figuratively a growing sector, with initiatives and projects in every region across the territory.

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Mr. Speaker, today, I am happy to announce that, starting immediately, we are resuming labour and delivery services for all NWT residents. This means that any NWT resident who is due to deliver a child can now expect to deliver their baby in the NWT starting today.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has expanded its Career and Education Advisor (CEA) program in the 2021-22 school year.

The CEA program provides specialized education and career advice to Grade 9–12 students and school-aged youth across the Northwest Territories (NWT).  The program is designed to meet the unique needs of NWT students, youth and their families, as well as educators. This year the program welcomed five more advisors to its team, for a total of nine CEAs. This means there is now a CEA based in every NWT region.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is seeking input from the public to develop the 2022-2025 Energy Action Plan, which will lay out GNWT actions and initiatives to advance the objectives of the 2030 Energy Strategy.

The 2030 Energy Strategy sets out the GNWT’s long-term approach to supporting secure, affordable, and sustainable energy in the Northwest Territories. The 2022-2025 Energy Action Plan will build on current projects and initiatives and continue successful programs, it will also include new activities.

Ministerial Activities Advisory for the week of February 22-28, 2022

Ministerial Travel

Please note that travel schedules may change with little or no notice. This schedule is accurate as of February 21, 2022.

There is no travel scheduled for this time period.

Meetings and Appearances

Please note that event organizers may have attendance restrictions­­­ for their event. Contact organizers for more information.

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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.