Yellowknife (September 11, 2023) – Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) Minister Shane Thompson has once again renewed the Territorial State of Emergency that was originally declared on August 15, 2023 and renewed for a first time on August 29, 2023 due to the wildfire situation across multiple Northwest Territories (NWT) regions. The extended Territorial State of Emergency will be in effect until September 18, 2023.

Yellowknife (September 8, 2023) – Marine Transportation Services (MTS) cancels final sailings to Norman Wells and Tulita due to low water levels.

Today, the GNWT's Marine Transportation Services announced that the third sailings to the communities of Norman Wells and Tulita have been cancelled due to dangerously low water levels on the Mackenzie River.

Safety of crew, vessels and the environment is paramount.  The low water levels make it dangerous to continue to operate on the Mackenzie River. 

Yellowknife (September 7, 2023) – The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has adjusted the Evacuee Income Disruption Support (EIDS) program. Starting immediately, eligible residents will now receive the full $750 as a one-time payment, without any withholding tax.

Initial EIDS payments from the GNWT deducted a 10% withholding tax, meaning that residents received $675 instead of the full $750. Residents who previously received a payment of $675 will soon receive an additional payment of $75.

Yellowknife (September 1, 2023) – The Evacuee Income Disruption Support (EIDS) program assists NWT residents who have lost employment income during extended evacuation periods. It provides financial support to adults 17+ whose employment has been disrupted by an evacuation lasting more than seven days. Eligible residents will receive a one-time payment of $750.

YELLOWKNIFE (September 1, 2023)– The current fire bans have been extended for all public and private lands in both the North Slave and the South Slave Regions.

These bans are effective through September 15 and may be extended if necessary. They apply to following communities and on the land:

North Slave:

• Behchokǫ
• Dettah
• Gamètı̀
• Łutselk’e
• N’dilǫ
• Wekweètı̀
• Whatı̀
• Yellowknife

South Slave:

The attached is being distributed on behalf of The Government of The Northwest Territories and The City of Yellowknife.

Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) Minister Shane Thompson has renewed the Territorial State of Emergency that was originally declared on August 15, 2023 due to the wildfire situation across multiple Northwest Territories (NWT) regions. The extended Territorial State of Emergency will be in effect from August 29, 2023 until September 11, 2023.

The fire ban in effect at the McKinnon Territorial Park in Norman Wells has been lifted. 

NWT Parks reminds park users that campfires should only be lit in designated fire pits and must always be kept under control.  Keep a bucket of water, sand and a shovel handy.  Be sure to extinguish your fire before you go to sleep or when you leave the site. Remember that if your fire is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.

Applications for the Evacuation Travel Support Program are now open and available online.

The Evacuation Travel Support Program will provide financial relief to NWT residents who evacuated by vehicle due to the wildfires: $750 per vehicle evacuated to a southern jurisdiction or $400 per vehicle evacuated within the NWT.

Residents can apply here: https://www.fin.gov.nt.ca/en/services/evacuation-travel-support-program

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is providing NWT residents a 90-day extension to General Identification Cards, driver’s licences and vehicle registrations that have expired or will expire while they are out of the territory due to wildfire evacuation.