NWT Emergency Response Update – July 29, 2026NWT Emergency Response Update – July 29, 2026

The federal government says construction on the Mackenzie Valley Highway cannot start until wildfires in the Northwest Territories are under control and it is safe to proceed. The plan remains that some sections await environmental assessments, regulatory approvals, and funding decisions, with late 2027 targeted for full construction pending those steps.

The federal government reversed its earlier decision and will provide funding to cover travel for in-person counselling under the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut for the current fiscal year. ISC also said it is developing a plan for funding in the coming years, after previously stating…

The federal government is investing $7 million in eight renewable energy projects across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon. The funding supports wind, solar, microgrid, and research initiatives, including a 1.4 million wind development planning in Baker Lake and a 2.8 million research program at Yukon University.

Ottawa announced nearly $7 million in clean-energy funding for eight northern projects across Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, highlighting Yukon-focused initiatives including a $2.8 million Yukon University research program and a $42,500 biomass heating feasibility study for Whitehorse. The government frames these investments as part of…

Indigenous Services Canada announced that funding to support travel for in-person counselling for residential school survivors and their families will no longer be available in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories; approvals will be for virtual services only due to the lack of travel funding. The move prompted reactions from Dene National Chief George…

NWT MP Rebecca Alty said she will raise the issue with cabinet colleague Mandy Gull-Masty after Ottawa stopped funding travel for the Trauma-Informed Health and Cultural Support Program, affecting mental health counselling in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. She noted the pause requires virtual services only and will seek a solution that meets…