The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) understands the physical distancing and isolation measures used to combat the spread of COVID-19 have created new and very real economic stress on Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, families, businesses, Indigenous governments and communities. To ease some of the burden, Shane Thompson, Minister of Lands announced the Department intends to waive rent on existing surface dispositions on public land, for the fiscal year 2020-21.

The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes how important it is for residents to be able to access information about COVID-19 in a single location, and has made some changes to address that need.

Information is power in the collective response to COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories – and now, it’s a whole lot easier to find. That’s because the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has launched a new, standalone, cross-government website bringing all the information and resources about the territory’s pandemic response under one roof.

Today, Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek announced that the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will allocate $8.7 million in funding to support Northwest Territories’ (NWT) passenger-based airlines who offer scheduled service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective today, the Department of Finance has introduced amendments to the Northwest Territories’ Liquor Regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The amended regulations allow all Class A and Class B licensed establishments in the Northwest Territories (NWT) to sell beer, wine and spirits for take-out and delivery without the need for an off-premises extension to their license.

The Government of the Northwest Territories advises that Highway 8 (The Dempster Highway) will be closed to all traffic at 5:00 p.m. on Friday May 8, 2020. The highway will be closed beginning at kilometre 1 and extending to kilometre 14.2. Travellers are advised to complete their essential movement of goods prior to closure.

Minister Katrina Nokleby issued the following media statement today in support of the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce and its advocacy on behalf of NWT businesses. 

“The Northwest Territories (NWT) Chamber of Commerce’s recent letter to the Federal government was valuable in re-enforcing what has already been said by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and other NWT sectors about the unique needs of the Northwest Territories during these unprecedented times.

Check against delivery 

Hello everyone and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

I’d like to specifically thank Jenni for the invitation to address your membership.  This is the first chance that I have had to do so since being elected, and though I wish we could have done it in person, I am glad all the same.

Outside of the immediate task of navigating the COVID-19 crisis, the Government of the Northwest Territories’ broad mandate is to improve the lives of the people it serves.

Good afternoon.

I want to begin by saying that our thoughts are with the people of Hay River who are facing flood risks alongside a pandemic.

We appreciate the work everyone is doing on the frontlines to keep people safe from the flood, and making sure good public health practices are followed as much as possible as the response unfolds.

R.J. Simpson, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) met with territorial education leaders and the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association (NWTTA) during their biweekly teleconference on May 5, 2020 to further discuss continued learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on what is currently being done to support families and students with complex needs.

Today, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), R.J. Simpson announced the exemption of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) for Income Assistance (IA) clients. These benefits would normally be counted as unearned income and would affect a client’s IA benefit amount.