Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green has extended the territory-wide Public Health Emergency under the Northwest Territories’ Public Health Act on the advice of Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) Dr. Kami Kandola

The latest extension continues through December 22, 2020. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated considerably across Canada in recent weeks as the country’s caseload surged to its highest point in the pandemic.

Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Minister R.J. Simpson spoke with education leaders to discuss the NWT response to Alberta Education’s recent decision to make diploma exams optional for the 2020-2021 school year. After close consideration of the needs of NWT students and communities, as well as the operational realities of NWT schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has decided to make diploma exams optional for NWT students.

Ministerial Activities Advisory for the week of December 8-14, 2020

Ministerial Travel

Please note that travel schedules may change with little or no notice. This schedule is accurate as of December 7, 2020

Premier Cochrane's Itinerary for the week of December 5, 2020

Issued December 7, 2020. An updated version of the itinerary will be provided on December 9, 2020.

Public Events and Meetings

December 11

• The Premier will be participating in a Bi-weekly COVID-19 Update.

Closed Events and Meetings

The following events are closed to the media

December 7

• The Premier will be chairing a COVID-19 Committee of Cabinet meeting.
• Internal Meetings

December 8

The Mobile Core Bathurst Caribou Management Zone (Mobile Zone) is now in effect for the 2020/21 winter season. This no-harvest zone is one of several management actions established by the GNWT and co-management partners to protect the declining Bathurst caribou herd.

It is illegal to harvest caribou within the Mobile Zone.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) actively monitors caribou and hunters in the area. If you are caught harvesting in the Mobile Zone, you may be charged under the Wildlife Act.

Premier Cochrane's Itinerary for December 4, 2020

Issued December 3, 2020.

Note: As of December 4, 2020, the daily itinerary will no longer be distributed. It will be replaced by a weekly itinerary sent out every Friday for the following week. It will also be updated mid-week to reflect any changes to the Premier’s schedule.

Public Events and Meetings

There are no public events or meetings scheduled.

Closed Events and Meetings

The following events are closed to the media

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Awards. The awards recognize the efforts of members of the community who work to strengthen the arts, culture, heritage and languages of the Northwest Territories.  Recipients are chosen from nominations put forward by other northerners in five different categories.

The Growth and Recovery by Investing in Tourism (GRIT) Fund will see approximately $3 million invested in the tourism industry in the NWT to help operators and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funded in partnership with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), the GRIT Fund was introduced in August 2020 to respond specifically to the needs of the tourism industry post COVID-19.     

The fund was both extended and increased before closing in October.

The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Paulie Chinna has extended the State of Emergency in the City of Yellowknife. This extension is being made under s.14 of the Emergency Management Act.

The extension continues through December 18, 2020.

This State of Emergency was initially instated to address the need for additional shelter space as a result of ongoing capacity limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attached is being released on behalf of the Intergovernmental Council of the Northwest Territories