YELLOWKNIFE (March 2, 2015) – Experience the stories, culture and heritage of the Northwest Territories through the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre’s dynamic new website.

On February 1st, the Northern Heritage Centre launched a redeveloped site that includes innovative technologies, expanding the museum’s virtual presence.

The new site allows visitors to engage with the Heritage Centre’s programs, objects and archives, essentially becoming an on-line library of the territory’s rich cultural offerings.  

YELLOWKNIFE  (March 2, 2015) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Jackson Lafferty congratulates the first NWT students awarded a $5,000 Right from the Start Early Childhood Development (ECD) Scholarship to support their full-time studies in Early Childhood Development.

YELLOWKNIFE (February 27, 2015) – Former  Justice Thomas Berger will be visiting the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to officially open theThunder in our Voices exhibit currently on display until April 30, 2015.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Ms. Lea Lamoureux, Principal of Kaw Tay Whee School in Dettah, on being recognized as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals for 2015.

She is the most recent in a long list of Northwest Territories recipients, who have been recognized for their dedication and passion for teaching our students in the Northwest Territories.

YELLOWKNIFE (February 19, 2015) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty announced enhancements to immigration programs in the Northwest Territories today.

“To sustain a strong and competitive economy, grow and diversify the work force and maintain the level of service to which we have become accustomed, this government is committed to increasing the population by 2,000 people over the next five years,” said Minister Lafferty. “Immigration needs to be part of that solution.”

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the Territorial Nominee Program has been greatly enhanced to better meet the needs of employers and to advance the population and economic growth objectives set by this government.

Mr. Speaker, all children in the NWT deserve the best possible care, nurturing and support, so that they can develop physically, emotionally, socially, culturally and spiritually. When these supports are in place right from the start, children are more likely to grow up to become healthy productive members of their communities and society. 

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise Members of this House that starting on June 1, 2015, the minimum wage in the Northwest Territories is going up.

The minimum wage in the NWT will increase from $10.00 per hour to $12.50 per hour, making it the highest in Canada today. This is the first increase to the minimum wage in the Northwest Territories since 2011. 

YELLOWKNIFE (January 13, 2015) – Minister or Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty announced a substantial increase to the Northwest Territories minimum wage today.

Effective June 1, 2015, the minimum wage will increase from $10.00 per hour to $12.50 per hour, giving the NWT one of the highest minimum wages in Canada. The increase was based on findings from the Minimum Wage Committee, appointed by Minister Lafferty in 2013 to research, engage stakeholders and provide options on the minimum wage rate in the NWT.

YELLOWKNIFE (December 12, 2014) – Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty met last week with Aboriginal governments from across the Northwest Territories to generate ideas for a 10-year culture and heritage strategic framework. This is a new initiative of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) which will help GNWT departments align their work with a shared set of cultural principles during the next decade. The framework will be the first of its kind in the NWT.