Ministerial Activities Advisory for the week of December 21, 2021 – January 10, 2022

Ministerial Travel

Please note that travel schedules may change with little or no notice. This schedule is accurate as of December 20, 2021

There is no travel scheduled for this time period.

Meetings and Appearances

Please note that event organizers may have attendance restrictions­­­ for their event. Contact organizers for more information.

Population estimates were obtained for five of the NWT’s barren-ground caribou herds in 2021.

ENR obtains new population estimates for the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Cape Bathurst, and Bluenose-West herds every three years. Due to the continued declines in Bluenose-East and Bathurst herds, ENR had planned to obtain new estimates for these two herds in 2020, only two years since the last estimates. However, 2020’s survey was delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19.

As anticipated, the Omicron variant of concern has been confirmed in the Northwest Territories.

The Omicron variant is quickly becoming the dominant COVID-19 strain across Canada, replacing the Delta variant.

The Government of Northwest Territories is developing Meat Safety Regulations for locally produced meat and meat products from privately raised livestock, to NWT consumers. The regulations will set out requirements for production, distribution, and sale to ensure that meat and meat products are handled and prepared using safe methods.

Minister of Health and Social Services Julie Green released an update on the Quality Improvement Plan Progress for Child and Family Services (CFS) today. This update is part of the Department of Health and Social Services’ commitment to transparency related to the actions the GNWT is taking to better meet the needs of children and youth. These actions align with the recommendations of the Auditor General of Canada and the Federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth, and families. CFS  supports families so they can care for children and youth in their community.

The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Shane Thompson has extended the State of Emergency in the City of Yellowknife. This extension is being made under s.14 of the Emergency Management Act.

The extension continues through December 22, 2021.

This State of Emergency was initially instated to address the need for additional shelter space as a result of ongoing capacity limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Health and Social Services is seeking feedback from professionals and the public on the proposed Naturopathic Profession Regulations. Input from public and stakeholder engagement in 2016 helped inform the development of these proposed regulations.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green has extended the territory-wide Public Health Emergency under the Northwest Territories’ Public Health Act on the advice of Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) Dr. Kami Kandola.

The latest extension continues through December 21, 2021. 

The Public Health Emergency is required to continue to decisively respond to shifts in the NWT’s own public health situation, and maintain preventative measures.

The travelling exhibit ‘Breathe: Creating resilience through traditional art’ presented by the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and Health and Social Services (HSS) is set to open Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC).

The exhibit will be on display until April 2022 and can be viewed Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm at PWNHC.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is making changes to the NWT COVID-19 Dashboard and discontinuing the Daily COVID-19 Case Update.