Friendship centres and other Indigenous organizations in the NWT are eligible for additional funding announced by the federal government last week. On May 21, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said an additional $75 million will go to address the needs of Indigenous people living off-reserve and in urban centres during the…
The annual Slave River Paddlefest is cancelled this year because of COVID-19. Paddlefest’s website describes it as a celebration of the Slave River, one of the world’s best lesser-known whitewater paddling destinations. John Blyth, president of the Fort Smith Paddling Club, said the event would’ve been difficult to host while…
Over the May long weekend, health officials started using rapid-result COVID-19 test kits called GeneXpert Express. The units deliver test results in less than an hour. However, Dr. Sarah Cook, the territorial medical director, says the vast majority of tests will still be going to Alberta — with a four-day…
Defective KN95 masks are being recovered by the Government of the Northwest Territories after Health Canada issued a recall. The recall was first issued on May 11, after the territory had already ordered and even received some shipments of the product. A news release said the masks do not meet…
Well it’s official. There have been no COVID-19 cases in the Northwest Territories for 28 days, meaning the first phase of the territorial government’s plan to relax the public health orders can begin immediately. Under the first phase of the Emerging Wisely plan, residents can now have up to five…
Updated May 14, 2:30 p.m. Education leaders across the NWT have agreed to keep all schools closed for the remainder of the academic year despite being given the all-clear to open from the chief public health officer. The decision comes two days after the territorial government released its Emerging Wisely…
The City of Yellowknife has begun planning for reopening city programs, services and facilities. The city said in a media release its plans are in line with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GWNT) ‘Emerging Wisely’ framework. Some of the GNWT first phase reopening activities include outdoor activities like playgrounds,…
The border checkpoint set up under the current state of emergency will be moving from Enterprise to the NWT border with Alberta. According to Ivan Russell, the head of the emergency management organization, this was in response to the NWT government’s Emerging Wisely plan, which will allow for larger outdoor…
Friday, May 15 is the crucial day to see whether the public health orders in the NWT will begin to relax. If there are still no active cases by then, it would mark two incubation periods, or 28 days, since the last confirmed case recovered. According to the territorial government’s…
The Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development program (SEED) is open for applicants and will prioritize proposals focused on economic recovery from COVID-19. The program is run by the department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who said in a media release it is looking for proposals aimed at supporting employment,…