The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is providing this update to ensure residents are informed of the most recent developments regarding concerns over lead levels in school water supplies.

Over the past few days, additional resources have been mobilized and expert support engaged to better understand the situation. While a comprehensive investigation is still underway, the GNWT believes it is important to share what is currently known so families, school staff, and the broader public have the facts and a clear understanding of next steps.

The GNWT has released the results of its 2024 Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery (MWAR) Survey, which gathered feedback from northerns about their experiences with related services and supports.

The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) is declaring an end to the 21-day exposure and monitoring period linked to the confirmed case of measles reported in Yellowknife earlier this month. The last public exposure occurred on May 2, 2025. No secondary cases have been identified.

The Government of the Northwest Territories thanks local public health teams and residents for their quick action and participation in response efforts.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is offering free dredged material (dirt) to residents in July 2025 in Hay River.

The dredged material is essentially dried river sediment, a mix of sand, silt, and clay, and small bits of debris that was removed from the Hay River Harbour navigational channel during dredging in the summer of 2024, and has been drying since. It has been extensively tested and is approved for residential and agricultural use.

Approximately 30,000 cubic metres of dredged material is available.

Key Details:

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is advising residents of several Northwest Territories (NWT) communities that Northwestel will be conducting planned network maintenance on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. (MST).

During this maintenance window, some services will be disrupted for up to four hours. In Yellowknife, disruption will impact local and long-distance telephone calling, 9-1-1, cellular and internet services. In Hay River and Fort Smith, long-distance telephone and 9-1-1 services will be impacted.

Yellowknife (May 25, 2025) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and its partners are aware of a new encampment established in Yellowknife.

Emergency shelter services remain available for individuals seeking safety, basic needs, and support. The GNWT continues to work closely with shelter operators to monitor capacity and respond to needs. Since October 2024, the average occupancy rate for emergency shelters in Yellowknife has been 87%, and total shelter capacity has not been exceeded at any time.

Bears are coming out of hibernation in the NWT. We’re reminding everyone that avoiding bear encounters starts with you.  Residents can take quick and easy steps to be bear safe this season.

Don’t invite them in!

Avoiding encounters starts with not inviting bears to your home, cabin, or community. Negative encounters are more likely when bears are in populated areas, and if bears become food conditioned to human food and garbage, they are more likely to stay close to people and less likely to stay in the wild.

Further to the updates provided in January and February 2025, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received new information regarding the PowerSchool Data Breach.

As duck hunting season approaches, this is a reminder for the public that Avian Influenza has previously been detected in a small number of birds in the Northwest Territories. Residents should take some simple and easy steps to protect themselves. Avian influenza passes from bird to bird and can affect some other animals and, in rare cases, people. With the return of migratory birds, it is important to watch for signs of sick birds and follow some basic precautions to prevent being exposed to the virus.

Safety Guidelines for the Public

Applications for bison tags are now available for the 2025-26 hunting season! There are four bison tags for the Mackenzie bison population available to NWT residents with a Resident Hunting Licence or a General Hunting Licence. These tags are for bulls only, and as per the regulations, there is mandatory harvest reporting for these tags.

Submit your application before June 15, 2025, 5:00pm. If you are mailing your application, your application must be post-marked before June 15, 2025.