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Featured, News, Wildfires June 4, 2025

Tulip Lake Wildfire in full bloom 28 kms east of Fort Smith

Currently no evacuation notices, alerts, or orders related to the 6,545-hectare blaze on the NWT/Alberta border, says NWT Fire


A unified command team consisting of Alberta and NWT – with representation from the Tthebatthı Dënesųłiné First Nation (formerly known as Smith’s Landing) — governments will be responsible for managing the large Tulip Lake Wildfire, 28 kilometres east of Fort Smith. Currently, additional crews, aircraft and other resources are forming…

Environment, Featured, News June 2, 2025

Water report: ‘No evidence that industrial activity impacts water quality’ in NWT’s Mackenzie River basin

Climate change emerges as a significant influence, particularly through permafrost thawing, says GNWT in 10-year summary report


The GNWT has released the Community-Based Water Quality Monitoring 10-Year Summary Report, showing over a decade of collaborative efforts to track and understand water quality across the territory. Analysis of the 10-year dataset revealed increasing trends in sulphate, chloride, and dissolved lithium in the Slave River. However, these changes largely…

Featured, News, Politics, Reconciliation June 2, 2025

GNWT to pay ‘bilingual bonus’ for Indigenous languages used on the job

Indigenous representation, involvement, and participation at all levels of the territorial public service is crucial, says GNWT


Employees with the territorial government whose duties involve use of an Indigenous language will be paid a “bilingual bonus” on a preferred language basis, says a GNWT report. Moreover, the GNWT will actively pursue future workers when they are in high school or Aurora College and make it easier to…

Community, Featured, News June 2, 2025

Minister Kuptana issues statement of support for Pride Month

The Minister encourages all northern residents to take part in celebration and education opportunities


As we’ve reached the month of June, Minister Lucy Kuptana from the Legislative Assembly of the NWT shared an official statement to welcome Pride Month, and the various celebrations of the Territory’s 2SLGBTQIA+ residents. She opened her statement by affirming her support for LGBT individuals, and recognizing Pride Month as…

Culture, Featured, News June 2, 2025

NorthWords event shines light on importance of Indigenous writers

This event was but one of many held at the Explorer Hotel over the weekend


Over the weekend, the Northwords group held their annual Writer’s Festival event to help share knowledge and opportunities with aspiring writers in the NWT, and among the plethora of discussions and readings, one event focused on the memoirs of Indigenous writers, and the unique strengths of the medium. Entitled, Stories…

Featured, Health, News, Politics May 31, 2025

Likely false alarm over elevated lead levels in drinking water at two city schools

Failed testing procedures ‘compromised the reliability’ of results at Range Lake North, William McDonald schools, says GNWT


Initial water testing in two Yellowknife schools that showed high levels of lead was conducted by unqualified staff who didn’t use national best practices for water sampling, says the GNWT. Elevated lead levels at Range Lake North School and William McDonald School were reportedly noticed after two tests months apart this…