Residents worry Tsiigehtchic is not prepared for impacts of Mackenzie Valley Highway

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-10 21:30:20.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment, Public Safety, Indigenous]

Residents of Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories, voiced concerns during Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board consultations regarding the $405-million federal investment to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway. The project scope includes an environmental assessment expansion covering the corridor connecting Norman Wells to the Dempster Highway in Inuvik. Residents worry the route bypasses their community of approximately 180 people while potentially increasing environmental degradation to land and water, and raising access to illicit substances without corresponding local emergency services, such as a dedicated RCMP officer or local nurses.