Health

Featured, Health, News, Politics June 14, 2024

New lab test appointment policy gets failing grade from MLA Julian Morse

‘We seem to have broken something while trying to improve it,’ says Frame Lake rep, responding to constituents' complaints


Two months ago, the NWT Health and Social Services Authority announced new options for accessing outpatient lab services at Stanton Territorial Hospital, effective immediately. However, the suite of ways to access outpatient lab services at Stanton has soured some feelings among clients who preferred the old method, the NWT Assembly…

Education, Featured, Health, Justice, News, Politics June 13, 2024

Midwifery gets a breather as Finance Minister reverses some proposed budget cuts

Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek promises Behchokǫ̀ will be part of planned program expansion before end of 2027


The territorial government has partially reversed plans to cut nearly $1 million from midwifery services as part of its 2024 proposed budget. Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek made the announcement at a committee hearing late Wednesday afternoon. “Midwives provide a valuable service to support health care in a culturally sensitive and…

Featured, Health, Housing, News, Police, Politics June 11, 2024

Shelters are full in Yellowknife, MLA seeks solutions from GNWT

Number of bed seekers has increased and 'capacity is being completely overwhelmed,' says Shauna Morgan


Emergency shelters in Yellowknife are “completely overwhelmed,” with MLA Shauna Morgan saying she’s afraid the system will collapse without solutions being found soon. Morgan is the MLA for Yellowknife North, which includes the Salvation Army complex, which is struggling at over double of its capacity each night. “I would like…

Featured, Health, News, Politics June 11, 2024

Midwives in training question the future of midwifery in the territory

Midwives Association says GNWT did not consult with advisory groups before listing $990K cut in proposed territorial budget


“Unfortunately, it really shows that in times of budget cuts, it is primarily women and children who bear the brunt of it and whose services are usually the first to be reduced,” says Gabby Lamarche, one of two Yellowknife residents training to be midwives. The territorial government plans to cut…

Featured, Health, News June 5, 2024

Brown crack in Hay River a danger for users, says CPHO

Hay River’s ongoing illegal drug problem has prompted another public health advisory, as potentially lethal mixtures including with methamphetamine are now being detected. Brown crack cocaine mixed with multiple other substances including fentanyl, norfentanyl, methamphetamine and benzodiazepine found in the town prompted today’s health advisory. Hay River has detected benzodiazepine…

Featured, Health, News May 3, 2024

Two major health clinics merging into ‘campus of care’ at Stanton Territorial Hospital

Frame Lake Clinic closing, most services at Primary Care Centre moving into Łıwegǫ̀atì Building


Health-care facilities in Yellowknife are undergoing a major procedure to create a new campus of care model that allows for co-location of services with the $350-million Stanton Territorial Hospital, which opened in May 2019. If you are used to visiting your family doctor at the Primary Care Centre downtown or…

Featured, Health, News, Profile May 3, 2024

Chef WhiteKeyes says tasty food, trauma healing belong on same menu

'It's not a treatment centre that we need. It's a healing centre,' says the popular local Métis chef


Chef Kaitlyn White-Keyes has a dream to combine her love of food — sticky sweets are a specialty — with a facility to help those recovering from addiction in Yellowknife and area. Food brings people together, says the formally trained chef, which could also prove to be the ice-breaker needed…

Featured, Health, Justice, Law courts, News, Police April 18, 2024

RCMP ‘need to have more compassion for women,’ says victim of horrific attack

A plea agreement allowed Kelly Ovayuak to lose eight of 10 charges for an additional three years behind bars


“Christine is not going to be another statistic. Another Indigenous woman that doesn’t matter. Her story, her truth, her life matters, she is valued.” Billie Lennie, older sister of Christine Cardinal. An Inuvik mom, now living with disfiguring injuries after being left for dead by her intimate partner on a…