The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and the NWT Council of Leaders are hosting a three-day summit in Yellowknife from January 20 to 22, 2026. The event, Following the North Star: Primary Health Care Reimagined Together, will bring together Indigenous governments, health system leaders, and national experts to share lessons and explore promising models of care.

Health and Social Services providers in select primary care and community health settings across the Northwest Territories are beginning to use Mika AI Scribe, a new tool that creates draft clinical notes during patient visits. This one-year pilot, in partnership with all three Health and Social Services Authorities, is designed to help providers spend more time on patient care and less on paperwork, while maintaining strong privacy and consent protections.

Premier RJ Simpson, and Ministers Caitlin Cleveland and Vince McKay travelled to Colville Lake on Thursday last week to tour the community and meet with Behdzi Ahda' First Nation Chief and Council.

Upon arrival, they were joined by Member for Sahtu Danny McNeely and sat down for a meal together with Behdzi Ahda' First Nation Chief and Council. Leaders were given a community tour, visited Colville Lake School, and then gathered again to meet with Chief and Council to discuss key topics and issues.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is extending targeted property tax relief for diamond mines into the 2026–27 fiscal year to support near-term economic stability for workers, businesses, and northern communities during a period of continued global market and trade uncertainty.

The Inuvik Homeless Shelter will enter a new chapter of community-led leadership on January 5, 2026, when operational responsibility transitions from Housing NWT to the Inuvik Homeless Shelter Advisory Board.

The transition reflects a long-standing community goal to have homelessness services guided by local voices, while ensuring shelter services continue without disruption for those who rely on them.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has created new Northwest Territories Defensive Firefighter Training (NWT-DFT) materials to support fire departments in small communities across the territory.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released its formal response to the 2022 independent After-Action Review (AAR) of emergency response and recovery activities in relation to the flood in the Town of Hay River (HR) and Kátł’odeeche First Nation Reserve. These responses outline clear actions the GNWT will take to strengthen emergency preparedness and recovery from flooding for all flood risk communities across the Northwest Territories.

Housing NWT is pleased to announce that a new Singles Multi-Unit Residential Building will be built in Hay River. This new project will replace an aging 28-unit singles social housing complex. The new 30-unit modern building is designed to better meet the needs of residents.

Housing NWT and the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) are sharing an important update. Effective April 1, 2026, Housing NWT will assume operational responsibility for the Yellowknife Day Shelter and Sobering Centre. NTHSSA currently manages these shelters.

This change is part of the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) plan to have a more coordinated approach to homelessness across the Northwest Territories (NWT). Housing NWT already manages shelter services in other regions across the NWT.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is taking initial steps to explore the possibility of hosting the 2035 Canada Winter Games. This presents an exciting opportunity for the North, but no decision has been made yet to submit a formal bid.