A major change is coming to the blood-related cancer services offered in the Territory.

The change? The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority recently announced that hematology-oncology services will be moved to Alberta.

This decision was made by Alberta Cancer Care as a way to ease the burden on NWT services. This change will only affect those who have the extremely specific types of cancer that relate to blood. It does not affect any other form of cancer treatment in the North, such as breast, lung, bowel, among others.

The first phase of this change will come into effect on May 1^st, and will only relate to patients who are not undergoing active treatment at the time. These patients will have their next appointment of bloodwork take place in Alberta. The NWT Cancer Care Team will be in contact with the estimated 40 NWT residents who this change will affect in order to coordinate their treatment plans.

Any patient who is receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy for blood-related cancers will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if their treatments will also be transferred to Alberta, and for what length of time.

Additional information can be found by contacting the NTHSSA’s Cancer navigation program at 1-866-313-7989.

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The GNWT has managed to come to a new collective agreement with the Northwest Territories Teacher’s Association.

Retroactively effective on August 1^st, 2023, the agreement gives teachers a salary increase of five percent, with an additional three percent increase on August 1^st of this year, and four percent increase the following year.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to help guide the practice in the event of teacher absence.

Negotiations for this agreement began on April 18^th, 2023, and came to an end on March 1^st, when the agreement was made. The teachers agreed to the deal on April 17^th, and it was officially ratified the next day.

In a statement, Caitlin Cleveland, the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment, said that “This collaborative effort to reach an agreement guarantees stability and security for NWT educators, enabling them to support our shared goal of improving student learning in the territory. The Government of the Northwest Territories values the dedication of NWT educational staff and remains committed to providing them with the supports they need to thrive in their important roles. By reaching a fair agreement, this deal will benefit educators and all stakeholders in the territory’s education system.”

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Aurora College has just launched a new five-year project that they will be working on with help from BGC Engineering.

With the goal of tackling some of the more unique transportation challenges in the North, the project will be looking to improve the safety and reliability of northern transport services. It will also be helped along with some funding from the federal government’s National Trade Corridors Fund.

The project will be gathering data from various geohazard data sources, which will be turned into actionable knowledge on how network reliability and transportation infrastructure can be improved. Historical data will also be incorporated into the project, which is expected to help plan for future challenges, particularly climate change.

Along with BGC Engineering, Aurora College is working with the GNWT and the University of British Columbia on the project. The hope is that it will help improve the day-to-day lives of northern communities while boosting their economic performances and opportunities by allowing greater access to affordable goods.

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Members of the 20^th Legislative Assembly’s Accountability and Oversight Committee recently gathered to hear of the updates that the GNWT has made to the NWT Emergency Plans since last year.

This was the first time the Emergency Plan has been updated since 2018. The update officially began in winter of 2022, but as the emergency situation evolved in 2023, it was put on hold as the GNWT was forced to respond. The update project was re-started in the fall of 2023, and was taking input from every GNWT department based on the lessons they learned and the feedback they received from the public.

The updated plan makes sure that assistance is given to community and regional authorities once they have exhausted all other possibilities, making sure that the Territory is looking out for itself one stage at a time. The Plan is also establishing methods of coordination and planning frameworks that can affect all or part of the NWT. It makes sure that Regional and Territorial Emergency Management Operations are working together and assigning the proper responsibilities.

As mentioned, the GNWT has also emphasized that there are roles that individual residents and families can play to help aid in these prevention efforts. It is recommended that residents make sure they have a household emergency plan, maintain an emergency kit, and do their best to protect their property and obtain insurance if they can.

The update works to clarify the roles that local authorities have over their respective areas, and does the same for Indigenous governments. In any areas where Indigenous governments are not responsible for these matters, they are encouraged to work alongside local authorities to help with Emergency Management Operations and community support.

Clearer language has been developed in regards to the definitions of activation levels. “Monitoring” is considered to be when information is being shared pertaining to a potential emergency. “Partial Activation” is when there is limited or targeted responses taking place with multi-agency coordination. “Full Activation” is for multi-jurisdictional response to a large scale event.

The report on the update also mentions that more opportunities are on the way for the public to share their comments and feedback on the NWT’s emergency management framework.

In preparation for the 2024 high-risk season, the GNWT has been reviewing their internal operating procedures, and has been conducting training for the Incident Command System with Emergency Management Operations personnel on the regional and territorial levels, senior GNWT staff, Cabinet members, and MLAs.

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A collaborative agreement has been reached between Housing NWT, and the Gwich’in Tribal Council.

The official signing of the agreement took place on Tuesday, April 23^rd, between Lucy Kuptana, the Minister Responsible for Housing NWT, and Gwich’in Tribal Council Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik.

This new agreement is meant to build off of previously established collaborations between the GNWT and the Tribal Council, and helps to provide a formal framework between the two government bodies. It will help to govern housing matters in Gwich’in communities such as Aklavik, Inuvik, Teetł’it Zheh (Fort McPherson) and Tsiigehtchic.

Gwich’in and Housing NWT discussions will be held through an upcoming Housing Wokshop Group, which will help find the matters that need to be placed as the highest priorities, and will help to organize new programs and deliveries.

In their statement on the matter, the Gwich’in Tribal Council expressed their eagerness to work with Housing NWT, as well as the federal government in order to improve the quality of housing in their areas.

In her own statement, Lucy Kuptana said that “using NWT is focused on cultivating collaborative relationships with Indigenous Governments. This agreement will create a roadmap for the Gwich’in Tribal Council and Housing NWT to work together on housing programs and services, allowing us to support residents in the best, most effective way we can.”

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Recent negotiations have once again led to an impasse between the GNWT, and the Union of Northern Workers.

Mediation efforts for a new collective agreement have been going on since December 14^th, and at the most recent session on April 20^th, mediators came to the conclusion that the two groups had too different opinions on the matters they were discussing to reach any kind of agreement. Both parties have been asked to submit their best and final ideas by May 3^rd, after which, non-binding recommendations will be issued to the parties for them to consider.

The GNWT has stated that they are committed to finding a resolution that is agreeable to UNW workers that is both fair and financially responsible.

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The first fire ban of the year has officially been issued in Fort Smith.

Coming into effect at 1:00 am on Monday, April 22^nd, this ban applies to everything within the Fort Smith municipal boundary, though it is only a partial fire ban, and still allows for the use of backyard fire pits.

All other types of fires are banned for the time being, and any permits that have previously been approved are now cancelled while it is in effect. Anyone who does make use of a backyard fire pit is strongly advised to keep a water source nearby, and make sure the fire is completely extinguished once it is no longer in use.

The Town notes that approved fire pits must be made from non-flammable materials, must be at least two metres away from any structures, must be less than one metre across, and the fire itself can not be higher than one metre. Any combustible materials around the fire pit must be cleared away.

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The film industry has emerged as a significant economic contributor in the Northwest Territories (NWT), bolstering revenue and employment while also diversifying the economy away from its mining sector foundation.

Members of Yellowknife council were presented with a report entitled "Eyes Wide Open," which was written by Graeme Clinton of the research firm Impact Economics. The report exposed the potential economic repercussions that could ensue from the closure of certain mines in the territory. The film industry may serve as an alternative method of establishing employment stability in a variety of sectors throughout the territory when the mine closures unfold.

Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland says it is a common misconception that working in the film industry requires technical training or expertise in film and/or media. Electricians, transporters, and carpenters are all essential components of a diverse workforce, which is critical for production.

Service providers, including both individuals and businesses, play a vital role in ensuring the film industry's smooth operation in the region. The provision of accommodation, meals, and equipment rentals are among the services they render indispensable for effectively implementing commercial productions. Additional sectors that provide diverse services advantageous to the film industry include wildlife monitoring, cultural advising, and tour guiding. By supporting the film industry in this way, Cleveland says service providers ensure the continued growth and success of production in the Northwest Territories.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) reports that media production in Canada supported 241,000 jobs, contributed $13.7 billion to the nation's gross domestic product, and attracted $7.5 billion in foreign investment during the fiscal year of 2022.

According to Statistics Canada, the multiplier effect for most Northwest Territories motion picture and video industries is 1.54. This indicates that each dollar invested in production activities yields a return of $1.55. According to statistical data, the Northwest Territories received an estimated $16 million in revenue, of which $3 million originated from commercial productions.

With guest productions such as Cold Road, Alone, and Alaska Daily and local productions such as Food for the Rest of Us, She Gives Birth, Stuff I Found Diving, and Elijah in the Rock Creature, the film industry in NWT has expanded substantially.

Cleveland asserts, however, that the territory's principal obstacle at this time is competing for projects with its provincial and territorial neighbours.

In response to this concern, the government initiated the Rolling, Action! The Next Five Years initiative. Per the NWT Film and Media Sector Strategy and Action Plan, several initiatives have been successfully deployed to aid regional producers and entice productions to the north. The strategy has stimulated regional economic activity and job growth.

The film rebate program for the Northwest Territories is a significant deliverable of this strategy. This competitive program encourages investment in the region by offering a 25% to 14% rebate on labour and expenditures incurred during production to pre-approved productions that intend to film in the territory. To promote the expansion of production beyond Yellowknife into other regions, a cost-offsetting provision of up to 40% of the funding will be extended. Historically valued at $100,000, the program allocated an additional $300,000 during the last fiscal year. Since inception, the film rebate has supported 20 productions included in these productions have been feature films, documentaries, television series, and commercials that have been filmed across the territory.

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Continuing their progress in establishing a tri-cameral government structure, Aurora College has established their first Academic Council.

This Council will be one of the highest authorities for the college, and will oversee the various academic standards for the entire institution. It consists of 30 different faculty members, with 27 of them elected by the College.

The Council will hold meetings every month between September and June. They will be advising the Board of Governors, give their recommendations on different matters around the school, and will be aiming to improve the College’s ability to make these kinds of decisions.

This Council will be aiming to bring the College one step closer to their goal of establishing a Senate for the polytechnic school. Going forward, it is expected that around one-third of the Council’s membership will be renewed every year, in an effort to keep things stable.

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The GNWT is marking a success for their winter fuel resupply program after reporting nearly 6,300,000 liters of fuel were delivered.

While this year saw a shorter than average winter season, along with higher pressures from a shortened barge season, the GNWT was still able to deliver 6,290,000 litres of fuel along the winter roads, keeping several communities stocked up over the winter. The fuel that was delivered consisted of 4,757,000 litres of diesel, 1,246,000 litres of gasoline, and 294,000 litres of jet fuel.

All of this was managed by the Petroleum Products Program, which provides these fuel services to 16 different communities across the North, which are not served by private companies. Six of the 16 communitites are the ones who benefit from the GNWT’s winter resupply; Colville Lake, Délı̨ne, Gametì, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e, and Wekweètì. Additional fuel was also delivered to Tulita and Fort Good Hope this year.

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