The Evacuation Alert for Fort Simpson has officially been lifted as of 3:00 pm on July 24. The Evacuation Order was initially put into place on June 28 and later downgraded to an Alert on July 18
With Northerners being at the front lines of climate change and experiencing gross gaps in health care equity despite composing more than half of the population, leaders with the National Council for Reconciliation say Northern issues are a “chief” focus of their inaugural report. The document is regarded as the first legislated independent assessment of progress in response to the Calls to Action and identification of persistent systemic barriers.
Yellowknife city officials announced that Reservoir Road will be closed beginning Friday. Reservoir Road from Wıìlıìdeh Avenue will be closed to traffic beginning at 9 a.m. until Monday.
Wildland crews continue to battle wildfires concentrated in the Dehcho and Sahtu regions, but fire activity is also increasing in the South Slave and in the North Slave regions. Wildfires near Behchoko and Gameti saw increased growth due to weather conditions. On Wednesday, NWT Fire issued a special bulletin after a wildfire was spotted close to Fort Resolution.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has announced that construction on the new Jean Marie River Bridge on Highway 1 has been completed ahead of schedule, and the bridge is now open to the public.
Lakeshore Co-Op just announced that they raised a total of $8,884.11 in support for individuals and families affected by the Liidlii Kue / Fort Simpson and Wrigley wildfires. The donations were received from members making donations at the Lakeshore Co-Op on Old Airport Road in Yellowknife and on the Mackenzie Hwy in Hay River.
Canada’s Premiers met this week in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for their summer meeting to discuss the shared issues and priorities facing Canadians, including health care, costing of living, and economic growth.
The Yellowknife Merchants Fastball Club is hosting the inaugural Northwestern Invitational Fastball Championship this weekend at the Tommy Forrest Ball Park in Yellowknife. The tournament will mark the first International Softball Congress (ISC) qualifier held in the N.W.T.
Premier R.J. Simpson will assume the Chair of the Council of the Federation on Aug. 1, according to an announcement issued by the federal government. The N.W.T. will host the next summer meeting of Premiers in July 2027.
Liidlii Kue and Fort Simpson community members are happy to be home three weeks after evacuations were issued. but problems remain for those returning. Poor air quality is a blanket problem in the region due to severe wildfire smoke, with the community trying to secure access to N95 masks, especially for Elders and community members with lung and heart conditions.