• 6 provinces and territories exploring adoption of new CO detector rules, Sask. minister says

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-29 22:04:08.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, National, Public Safety, Housing, Governance]

  Effective November 1, 2026, Saskatchewan is enacting regulatory updates known as Henry's Law, which requires carbon monoxide alarms in all residential suites across multi-unit buildings, regardless of their location within the structure. Named in memory of 11-year-old Henry Losco, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning following a boiler leak in a Regina apartment building in December 2025, the legislation applies to both existing and new residential buildings. Saskatchewan's Minister of Government Relations Eric Schmalz announced that six other provincial and territorial jurisdictions—Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories—are actively exploring the adoption of similar carbon monoxide safety rules.

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• Anxiety grows as Yukon Health Minister moves to crack down on tents outside shelter

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-29 17:02:35.0
  Tags: [National, Housing, Social Services, Public Safety]

  Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers has announced steps to crack down on tents set up outside the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter, citing concerns over illicit drug dealing. The territory is coordinating actions with shelter management, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Fire Marshal’s Office, and bylaw services. The crackdown unfolds amid soaring living costs in Whitehorse, where the latest inflation rate stands at 6.1 per cent and the living wage has risen to $32.43 per hour for a single-person household, while the shelter operates at 64 per cent capacity.

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• Yukon minister directing ‘crackdown’ of tents outside Whitehorse shelter, but won’t say how

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-27 15:44:59.0
  Tags: [National, Housing, Social Services, Public Safety, Governance]

  Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers stated in the Yukon Legislative Assembly that he has directed his department to crack down on tents outside the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter at 405 Alexander St. The minister stated he instructed his department to collaborate with the Department of Justice, the Department of Highways and Public Works, the RCMP, and the City of Whitehorse bylaw services to remove the encampments. Liberal Party Leader and Vuntut Gwitchin MLA Debra-Leigh Reti criticized the lack of operational clarity regarding the plan and called for a dedicated task force to assess the needs of individuals outside the shelter. The announcement coincides with ongoing legislative debate surrounding proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act and the elimination of rent control in the Yukon.

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• Yukon Housing to test Whitehorse units for lead in drinking water after elevated levels found last year

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-21 17:02:29.0
  Tags: [National, Housing, Infrastructure, Public Safety]

  The Yukon Housing Corporation will conduct additional drinking water testing across public housing units in Whitehorse during the winter and spring following 2025 testing that identified elevated lead levels. Out of 192 units initially tested, 22 showed lead levels exceeding Health Canada guidelines, with follow-up assessments confirming higher-than-acceptable levels in six units (five occupied, one vacant, with no children residing in them). Yukon Housing Corporation Minister Scott Kent stated that stagnant water is the primary cause, prompting plans to flush vacant units and prioritize testing in older residential buildings constructed before 1990 that feature copper plumbing with lead-based solder.

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• MLAs begin tour across N.W.T. to discuss new anti-drug law

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-09-01 12:24:45.0
  Tags: [National, Justice, Public Safety, Housing, Indigenous]

  Members of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly have initiated a territorial tour to conduct public town hall meetings regarding the proposed Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN). If enacted, the legislation would empower territorial officials to launch investigations into residential properties suspected of housing illegal drug activity based on confidential public complaints, and apply for tenancy terminations and evictions through rental officers. During the initial consultation in Fort Good Hope, residents voiced broad support for the enforcement mechanism while simultaneously highlighting the absence of concurrent measures to address systemic addiction, youth programming, and broader public safety concerns.

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