Check against delivery
Mr. Speaker, it was two years and eight months ago today that this 20th Legislative Assembly announced its four Priorities focused on housing, the economy, healthcare, and safety - along with a vision for advancing those priorities through reconciliation and collaboration.
Since that day, Cabinet has been working to improve the lives of the people we serve by advancing the Legislative Assembly’s Priorities. Residents want affordable homes, economic opportunities for themselves and their children and grandchildren. They want to be able access medical services when they need them, and to feel safe in their communities.
That all sounds simple enough, but the NWT’s large size, small population, lack of infrastructure, and extreme and changing climate mean things are rarely as simple as they seem. However, Mr. Speaker, through focused and sustained efforts, and by working collaboratively with Indigenous governments and the federal government, we are making significant progress.
Our efforts have been helped by a changing world. Renewed interest in Canada’s ability to assert sovereignty in the Arctic and defend our country and continent, along with the need for secure supply chains of critical minerals and energy means that Canada and others are now paying close attention to the North. We have the chance to turn that attention into opportunity and prosperity. To do so, we must all come together. Mr. Speaker, that is what is happening. Across the NWT, people are recognizing this moment and working collectively to seize it. That is not to say we all agree on everything, but never have I seen such unity and a shared sense of purpose. It is truly an exciting time to be a Northerner.
Mr. Speaker, for residents to take full advantage of this moment, they need the foundation of a safe and stable home.
Building in the North is expensive, especially in remote communities where transportation, site preparation and construction costs add up quickly. We know the challenges, and we are overcoming them.
This Legislative Assembly has committed $150 million to Housing NWT capital projects, and we are working with federal partners, Indigenous governments, communities and the private sector to make the most of these investments. In July, Housing NWT and the federal government announced a combined investment of $480 million to build hundreds of new homes, including at least 380 social housing units, 130 affordable housing units, and 50 transitional or supportive housing units.
The rollout of these funds will be guided by the Territorial Housing Needs Assessment released earlier this year; the first territory-wide assessment since the year 2000. It gives governments and partners better information to direct investment toward local needs.
This year alone, Housing NWT has delivered ten units in Fort Providence, five units in Behchokǫ, four units in Délı̨nę, four units in Fort McPherson, ten units in Ulukhaktok, and two units in Paulatuk. Work is underway at the new K'áhsho Got'ı̨nę Trades Centre in Fort Good Hope on four units destined for Tulita. These are all part of a larger investment in 98 new units – all of which are being built in the NWT.
In addition, a construction contract for 34 social housing units and 30 transitional units in Yellowknife has been signed, the 50-plex project in Yellowknife is advancing towards completion, and in Hay River work has begun on a 30-unit social housing complex.
Housing NWT is also working more closely with Indigenous government partners. Six collaboration agreements have been signed with Indigenous governments, including most recently with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. This is another step toward coordinated planning and delivery.
Finally, Housing NWT is launching a new Technical Team Pilot project in the Beaufort Delta, Sahtu, and Nahendeh districts to support preventative maintenance and repair work. The pilot project responds directly to what we have heard from residents. It will help address ongoing challenges in completing maintenance and repair work in smaller and more remote communities, where access to skilled trades services can be limited, contributing to repair delays and backlogs.
Mr. Speaker, this has been quite a year for housing. We are making generational investments, addressing longstanding issues, creating employment, and helping build local capacity.
Speaking of building, let’s talk about major projects.
Residents know the challenges of living without an all-season road, facing high energy and transportation costs, or relying on infrastructure that does not meet their community's needs.
These are long-standing problems. Addressing them will take years of planning, investment and construction. Mr. Speaker, I am excited to say that that work towards addressing those issues is well underway and we are making progress.
We are working with federal and Indigenous government partners to advance three nation building projects: the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, and the Taltson Hydro Expansion and grid connection project.
The Mackenzie Valley Highway is the closest to beginning full construction. This 800 km all-season road project will connect communities, lower the cost of living, provide evacuation routes in case of emergencies, strengthen Canada’s ability to respond to threats in the Arctic, and create economic opportunities through construction and maintenance, tourism and resource development.
Last month, we secured 405 million from the federal government to construct the Great Bear River Bridge, a key link along the Mackenzie Valley Highway. The funding will also support necessary environmental assessment and design work, and the next phase of the Prohibition Creek Access Road.
The Arctic Economic and Security Corridor is also advancing. This First Nations led project will create a community connection, open up a mineral rich area for potential resource development, and eventually connect to the Grays Bay Road and Port project on Nunavut’s Arctic coast. The Tłı̨chǫ Government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation have reached consensus on a proposed corridor, providing a foundation for the next phase of technical and environmental work.
Work on the Taltson Hydro Expansion and grid connection project also continues. In addition to increasing generating capacity at the Taltson Hydro facility, this project will connect our two hydro grids. This means the 70 per cent of residents served by hydro will experience more reliable power, less frequent outages, and less reliance on diesel generation when power consumption exceeds capacity or when one facility requires maintenance. This project is key to attracting new economic opportunities, and it is our best prospect for reducing the cost of power.
Each project is either led by or being advanced in partnership with Indigenous governments. That is how to get things done, and I think we are creating models that the rest of Canada should look to.
As the public government, we are working hard to ensure that we capture as many short, medium and long-term benefits as possible for all Northerners.
I am very optimistic about all three projects, but we do have a limited window of time to advance them towards full construction. The appetite of the federal government and of southern Canada to support large northern infrastructure projects will eventually wain. That means that until we have the money in the bank and the shovels in the ground, we can not take anything for granted and we can not let up.
As these major, government-led projects advance, we are working to attract private investment to the North. The NWT has world class critical mineral and natural gas deposits, we are building the infrastructure to access those resources, and we have a “one project, one review” regulatory system that is co-managed by the federal, territorial and Indigenous governments and grounded in the commitments made in modern treaties.
We now have a compelling case to make to investors, and we are out there making it. We are meeting with foreign investors and officials from places like Japan and India that are interested in doing business in the North, and we are meeting with domestic investors and federal agencies like Invest in Canada and the Canada Growth Fund. The North has Canada’s and the world’s attention, and we are working to turn that attention into opportunity for all Northerners.
Mr. Speaker, as we build major infrastructure and attract investment, we must make sure Northerners can take part in the opportunities.
Economic growth does not automatically create prosperity for everyone. To take advantage of the coming opportunities, residents must be prepared and have the skills these jobs will require.
With support from the Government of Canada, we are investing in workforce development and training. At GNWT’s Industry Days event last month, we announced the Workforce Ready Program. It is a simple, straight forward program that will fund Indigenous, community and municipal governments up to $100,000 each to deliver training that responds to local needs and anticipated jobs. This program responds directly to what we have heard from residents and communities.
We are also working to improve access to training, provide more flexibility in programs and to make sure Northerners are aware of the opportunities that are available. We have consolidated training and business supports on a single webpage so residents can easily learn about existing programs, and we are improving our internal processes so we can connect residents to the right supports.
We are also investing more in primary education. Changes by the federal government to the administration of Jordan’s Principle has meant that the supports many students relied on to be successful in school are no longer available. In response, earlier this year we announced an additional 30 million to help schools stabilize educational support services so students can get the help they need to learn and succeed. We are also continuing to work with Indigenous governments on the modernization of the Education Act, so that we will be better able to provide students with the education they deserve.
Our education and training systems must give young people a strong foundation and helps adults develop new skills throughout their working lives.
Our goal is not just to build infrastructure and attract investment: it is to ensure Northerners have real opportunities to work, contribute and prosper.
Mr. Speaker, infrastructure and economic growth are important but, above all else, people need to be healthy.
Residents need access to health care, mental wellness supports and social services when they need them, without unnecessary barriers or always having to leave their communities.
New funding and work with federal partners is helping strengthen services and respond to northern needs. We continue to work on medical travel and providing more care closer to home, and we are seeing tangible results. We recently announced, in partnership with the federal government, a number of health infrastructure projects across the territory, including upgrades to health facilities in Fort McPherson, Fort Smith, Inuvik, and Łutselk'e; new health cabins in Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Colville Lake, Tsiigehtchic, and Wekweèti; a new Wellness facility in Délı̨nę; new CT scanner services in Inuvik and MRI services in Yellowknife; and, the one I am most excited about, renovations at the Łıwegǫ̀atì Building in Yellowknife to support the creation of a new Indigenous Clinic. This clinic supports our efforts to ensure residents receive culturally appropriate care. I predict that the Łıwegǫ̀atì Indigenous Clinic will grow into a centre of excellence and innovation for Indigenous health care that will improve culturally appropriate care across the NWT. There is no reason we should not be leaders in this field, and this investment will help us do that.
We are also continuing to improve child and family services. The Auditor General of Canada’s report on Child and Family Services released earlier this year highlighted ongoing challenges that need to be addressed, as well as areas where improvements continue to be made. We will build on our successes, such as reducing the number of children in full-time care and supporting more families to stay together in their homes, and will focus on implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve support for children, families and communities.
These are complex systems. Progress takes time, and we need to keep listening to residents and front-line workers, addressing gaps and ensuring services are culturally appropriate and responsive to local needs.
There is also significant health-related work happening behind the scenes. We are taking a methodical approach to examining our system to ensure we have a full understanding of the services provided so that we can eliminate unnecessary policy barriers, remove duplication, streamline processes, and ensure that every dollar we spend on health is put to good use. This work is not as visible as a new program or facility, but it is nonetheless foundational to improving the overall functioning of our system and the services residents receive.
Mr. Speaker, it can be argued that the core function of government is to provide protection for its citizens. Recently, the Northwest Territories experienced natural disasters that support this argument and highlight the need for coordinated, collective responses in times of emergency.
Over the past few years, we have experienced wildfires that burn hotter and move faster than we have ever seen before. The change in fire behaviour means that to protect our communities we have to change our response - and that is what we have done.
In May of this year, we implemented a new territory wide Wildland-Urban Interface program in partnership with the NWT Fire Chiefs Association. A wildland-urban interface is where a forest meets a community, and fires in these areas are more complex than structure or wildland fires alone.
The program focuses on training and equipping community structural firefighters to prepare for and respond to these fires, and creates a system of mutual aid. As a result of this program, communities threatened by wildfires in 2026 were better protected than ever before, and I believe the program has already proved its worth.
This program, which is built on best practices from other jurisdictions and lessons learned in the NWT since 2023, directly responds to a gap identified by community firefighters based on their firsthand experience.
Mr. Speaker, too many of us in this territory know what it is like to lay awake at night not knowing if your home or even your community will be there in the morning. I am hopeful that this program will mean a lot less sleepless nights for residents.
Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the initiatives we have advanced this year and over the course of this sitting we will discuss many more.
To be clear, when I say “we” I do not just mean the Cabinet and the Members of this Legislative Assembly. The GNWT has thousands of dedicated public servants who serve residents, help advance projects, create opportunities, and keep the territory running day after day. Indigenous and community governments are providing services and supporting their members and residents. The private sector is providing jobs and opportunities, making investments and driving innovation. First responders, firefighters, RCMP, Coast Guard, Canadian Rangers, and search and rescue teams are focused on keeping us safe. Elders are providing traditional knowledge and wisdom to help guide us. Parents and grandparents are caring for children. Volunteers, Mr. Speaker, are doing a bit of everything.
There are only 45,000 of us in the NWT doing all of these things. Each of us has a role to play and when we work together, we can accomplish amazing things. We are seeing it happen now, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish next.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.