Premier Caroline Cochrane announced the following changes to portfolio assignments for Members of the Executive Council today:

Hon. Shane Thompson: Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Minister Responsible for Youth

Hon. Paulie Chinna: Minister Responsible for the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission.

Both Ministers retain the other portfolios already assigned to them.

Appointment orders are being prepared for the Commissioner’s signature and took effect at 5:00pm on Monday, June7, 2021.

Today, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) Caroline Wawzonek announced two new support programs for licensed tourism operators and licensed accommodation providers across the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The two programs, the Pandemic Relief Extension Program (PREP) for tourism operators, and the Supplement for Tourism Accommodation Relief (STAR) Program for accommodation providers who meet the criteria, were developed to support two of the hardest hit sectors impacted by the pandemic.

Today, Paulie Chinna, Minister Responsible Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) announced the opening of new environmentally-friendly 8-Plex in Sissons Court in Yellowknife. The provision of this housing supports the Government of the Northwest Territories’ mandate to ensure the availability of affordable housing as well as to consider climate change impacts when making government decisions.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) announced today that it will allocate $14.774 million to support the Northwest Territories’ Aviation Sector to continue essential air services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding is part of a program announced by the Government of Canada to support essential air services to remote communities between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Transport Canada will provide $12.558 million in new funding; while the GNWT will provide $2.216 million.

Today, Premier Caroline Cochrane and Paulie Chinna, Minister Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), announced two senior management officials have been assigned as Pathfinders to support flood impacted communities.

These Pathfinders have been assigned to travel to impacted communities and work with community leadership to confirm needs and preferred approaches. They will provide immediate assistance in answering questions about the process around flooding, to provide further information where and as needed.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, R.J. Simpson, is pleased to announce the names of the recipients inducted into the 2020 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle on March 2, 2021.

Recipients are recognized and respected in their communities for leadership, participation and significant contributions to the arts, culture and heritage. By category, the recipients for the 2020 Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle are:

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) will now offer exemptions from self-isolation requirements for travellers from the Yukon who are arriving or plan to arrive in the Northwest Territories (NWT). 

Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), today announced Rolling, Action! The Next 5 Years: NWT Film and Media Sector Strategy and Action Plan (2021-2026) with a new Producers Incentive Pilot Program (PIPP) to continue developing and investing in the Northwest Territories’ (NWT) Film and Media sector.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) announced today that it has made changes to  the eligibility criteria for Métis Health Benefits  to reduce barriers to access supplementary health insurance.

The Métis Health Benefits Policy first came into effect in 1995 and had not seen any substantial changes since then. The GNWT had heard concerns about the administrative practice for determining the ‘payor of last resort’ eligibility criteria.. 

After a successful roll-out of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to residents aged 12-17 in Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, Dettah, and Behchokǫ̀,  the Government of the Northwest Territories is announcing the next round of school-based vaccine clinics, which will be led by the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authorities (NTHSSA).