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Five more public housing units open in Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T.
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-29 23:15:30.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Indigenous, Social Services, Infrastructure]Housing N.W.T. has completed and turned over keys for five new public housing units in Behchokǫ̀, consisting of a four-unit building and a three-bedroom single-family home. The modular units were built in Hay River, shipped to Behchokǫ̀ for assembly in April, and are designed to replace older public housing units that have reached the end of their usable life. This deployment follows a territorial needs assessment released in March by Housing N.W.T. indicating that over half of households in Behchokǫ̀ face housing challenges, alongside the recent arrival of eight additional public housing units and one more duplex expected by the end of the year.
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Experts highlight the 'double-edged nature' of Starlink in the North
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-29 20:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Technology, Infrastructure, Indigenous]The federal government is pursuing made-in-Canada satellite alternatives to Starlink amid network sovereignty concerns and geopolitical risks highlighted by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ottawa-based satellite communications company Telesat plans to deploy 225 low Earth orbit satellites to compete with Starlink, utilizing a $1-billion launch contract with SpaceX. Meanwhile, academic studies of Northern communities—where Starlink provides download speeds averaging over 100 megabits per second—warn of a 'double-edged' social impact, including accelerated online harms like cyberbullying, gambling, and scams.
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Akaitcho First Nations assembly kicks off in Dettah
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-27 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Infrastructure, Energy, Governance, Resources]The Akaitcho Territory Government held its annual general assembly in Dettah, N.W.T., bringing together leadership from the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation, Salt River First Nation, Tthebatthie Denesųłiné Nation, and Yellowknives Dene First Nation to discuss shared priorities. The assembly addresses major regional infrastructure projects referred to the federal government's Major Projects Office, including the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor and the Taltson Hydro Expansion, which have faced wavering support and criticism over inadequate consultations from nations like Deninu Kųę́ and Łutsel K'e. Additionally, the assembly follows up on a 2025 initiative by a committee of elders to rename the Great Slave Lake to remove its derogatory historical connotations. Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson and Justice and Environment and Climate Change Minister Jay Macdonald are scheduled to attend.
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First Nations-first ministers' meeting brings funding announcements and mixed reviews
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-26 22:37:54.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Finance, Infrastructure, Emergency, Governance]Prime Minister Mark Carney convened the first Indigenous-focused first ministers' meeting in over two decades in Ottawa alongside the Assembly of First Nations, led by National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. Carney announced proposed federal funding ahead of the Nov. 5 budget, including more than $2.5 billion over five years for emergency preparedness in First Nations communities and more than $630 million over four years for First Nations and Inuit policing. Additionally, Carney committed to exploring the reform or abolition of the 1876 Indian Act and instructed his finance minister to collaborate with First Nations on new revenue-sharing mechanisms, such as a potential sovereign wealth fund.
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First Nations want tangible results as 'historic' first ministers' meeting opens
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-26 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Governance, Infrastructure, Energy]First Nations leaders and Canada's first ministers convened in Ottawa for the first Indigenous rights first ministers meeting in two decades, led by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and federal officials. The Assembly of First Nations circulated discussion papers seeking commitments on economic prosperity, policing, constitutional rights, health, and education, alongside a draft 'Declaration of a Shared Path Forward' proposing annual meetings. Grassroots groups, including the Truth Before Reconciliation Network and Onion Lake Cree Nation, staged protests and issued a cease-and-desist notice, arguing that elected chiefs do not adequately represent inherent treaty rights-holders amid rising tensions over major resource infrastructure projects.
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A ‘reset’ or ‘one and done’? First Nations and first ministers set to hold historic meeting
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-25 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Governance, Infrastructure, Resources, Mining]The Assembly of First Nations, led by National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, and Canadian first ministers are holding a historic, closed-door First Ministers' Meeting in Ottawa to redefine relations, discuss infrastructure, healthcare, and economic development, and address major project involvement. Notable absences include the premiers of Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec, while several Indigenous leaders have expressed skepticism over meeting formats, speech restrictions, and stalled federal Indigenous legislation under Prime Minister Mark Carney. The federal government, through the Privy Council Office and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, plans to announce new community supports during the one-day conference.
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8 new housing units, built in Hay River, arrive in Behchokǫ̀
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-20 22:55:41.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Social Services, Indigenous, Infrastructure]Housing N.W.T. has delivered eight new modular social housing units, constructed as four duplexes by METCAN Building Solutions in Hay River, to the community of Behchokǫ̀, with a final duplex scheduled for delivery by the end of the year to bring the total to ten units. The units are expected to be ready for occupancy by December to address a high local demand for one-bedroom social housing. This delivery forms part of a broader territorial initiative funded by a three-year, $150 million investment to construct 98 single-occupant housing units across nine Northwest Territories communities—including Behchokǫ̀, Fort Providence, Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik, Délı̨nę, Tulita, Fort Simpson, Ulukhaktok, and Fort Smith—by March 2028.
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Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin opens new family services building in Dawson City, Yukon
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-20 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Social Services, Infrastructure, Culture]The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation has officially opened its new family services building, named Ni’ehłyat Nidähjì’ (meaning 'Our Families, Our Future' in the Hän language), in Dawson City, Yukon. Formed around 2022 and constructed entirely by local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in contractors, the facility is designed to provide voluntary wrap-around services—including pre- and post-natal support, cultural programs, family wellness, nutrition, and traditional parenting support—while collaborating with the First Nation's wellness and justice departments to bridge service gaps.
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Nova Scotia to host massive data centre to power artificial intelligence
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-16 14:00:00.0
Tags: [Nova Scotia, Infrastructure, Energy, Technology, Industry, Indigenous]EverWind Fuels is constructing a massive 420-megawatt artificial intelligence data centre campus in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, backed by $8 billion in private capital. The facility will be built in two phases—95 megawatts coming online by the end of 2027 and 325 megawatts in 2028—under a 20-year lease agreement with an unnamed AI tenant. To power the facility, EverWind is raising an additional $2 billion for four planned onshore wind farms, while utilizing existing provincial grid capacity for initial supply and employing a closed-loop water-glycol system drawing from Landrie Lake. Furthermore, a consortium of Mi'kmaw communities fronted by Membertou First Nation is negotiating a nine per cent equity stake in the project.
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40 homes a year, 40 full-time staff, Arviat housing factory opens to fanfare
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-16 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Indigenous, Infrastructure, Labour, Economy]Sakku Innovative Building Solutions—the development arm of the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA)—has officially opened Nunavut's first Inuit-owned modular housing factory in Arviat, following a 40 per cent cost increase to a total project price tag of $70 million. Operating year-round, the facility is designed to produce 40 homes annually specifically for northern climates, beginning with an initial project of nine three-bedroom homes for Arviat by spring. The factory currently employs 15 full-time staff, 14 of whom are Inuit, and will scale up to 40 full-time employees while providing local training in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work to address severe territorial housing shortages and overcrowding.
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Métis leaders in oilsands region say they haven’t been consulted on proposed Pacific Link pipeline
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-15 12:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Energy, Indigenous, Infrastructure]Métis leaders representing six communities in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region have accused Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government of failing to consult them regarding the proposed Pacific Link pipeline. The proposed 1,000,000 barrel-per-day oil pipeline—designated as being in the national interest under the Building Canada Act—aims to connect Alberta's oilsands to a deepwater port near Delta, British Columbia, with approvals targeted for September 2027 and operations slated for 2032 or 2033. While the federal government has engaged First Nations leadership and announced a 10 per cent Indigenous ownership stake, local Métis presidents including Ruby Ladouceur of Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation and Stella Lavallee of Willow Lake Métis Nation expressed concerns over potential environmental impacts and the lack of inclusion in project discussions.
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Alberta Métis leaders oppose exclusion, not Pacific Link, as Cold Lake takes Ottawa to court
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-14 14:05:34.0
Tags: [Alberta, National, Energy, Infrastructure, Indigenous, Resources]Six Métis nations in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, along with the Cold Lake First Nations (which filed a Federal Court application), are challenging federal and provincial authorities over their exclusion from consultations regarding the proposed Pacific Link pipeline. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the pipeline as a project of national interest on October 1, 2026, to carry Alberta oil to the British Columbia coast with a groundbreaking targeted for September 1, 2027. Indigenous leaders criticize the lack of consultation, noting that equity ownership stakes and co-development terms were offered without proper engagement with Métis communities, violating Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 and the Crown's duty to consult.
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C-37 (45-1) - First Nations Clean Water Act
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-09 13:20:48.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Infrastructure, Environment, Governance]Bill C-37, titled the First Nations Clean Water Act and introduced by the Minister of Indigenous Services, has completed second reading and was referred to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) on October 9, 2026. The legislation establishes a comprehensive federal framework regarding water, source water, drinking water, wastewater, and related infrastructure on First Nation lands. The bill builds upon previous class-action litigation settlements concerning safe drinking water in First Nations communities and is accompanied by a historic funding commitment and a departmental Charter Statement tabled on September 25, 2026.
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Alberta First Nation taking Ottawa to court over West Coast pipeline
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-09 00:20:48.0
Tags: [Alberta, National, Indigenous, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure]Cold Lake First Nations has filed an application in Federal Court challenging the federal and provincial decision to designate the $35 billion to $43 billion Pacific Link oil pipeline project as being in the national interest. The proposed pipeline, backed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, would transport up to one million barrels of crude a day from Bruderheim, Alberta, to Delta, British Columbia, while incorporating the Pathways Project carbon capture network near Cold Lake. Chief Kelsey Jacko argues that Ottawa breached Canadian law by failing to consult the community meaningfully regarding the pipeline designation and the underground carbon storage risks on their traditional territory.
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Cold Lake First Nations seeking judicial review of Pacific Link pipeline designation
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-08 19:37:43.0
Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Indigenous, Energy, Infrastructure]Cold Lake First Nations filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court challenging the federal government's decision to designate the Pacific Link pipeline as a project in the national interest under the Building Canada Act. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the fast-tracking of the West Coast oil pipeline project with the goal of completing reviews and consultations over the next year to begin construction by next September. Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko stated that his community was excluded from consultations on the designation despite being situated in the oilsands region. The legal challenge argues that the designation breaches Canadian law, is inconsistent with the honour of the Crown, and fails to account for adverse effects on Treaty No. 6 rights and cumulative oilsands development impacts.
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Candidates for Yellowknife city council discuss how to get more housing
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-07 12:41:21.0
Tags: [Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Economy, Indigenous]Ahead of the October 19 municipal election, 20 of the 21 candidates running for Yellowknife city council participated in a forum discussing housing development strategies, downtown revitalization, and infrastructure upgrades. Incumbent Rob Warburton criticized the city's zoning and permitting process for causing significant delays in residential construction, while candidate Rylund Johnson highlighted that federal funding programs like Reaching Home and Street Outreach are set to expire in 2028 under the Carney government. Candidates also debated smart growth alternatives to developing residential green spaces, including edge-of-town expansion modeled after Niven Lake, and the prioritization of replacing aging city water and infrastructure based on a first-in, first-out replacement principle.
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Long-awaited small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, expected to open in 2030
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 20:53:15.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Fisheries, Indigenous]Nunavut MP Lori Idlout announced a $77-million federal investment for the construction of a small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, as part of a $106-million commitment made by the federal government in 2024. The construction contract has been awarded to Iqaluit-based Pilitak Enterprises Ltd., featuring an Inuit benefits plan to support local training and employment. The infrastructure will include a breakwater, launch ramp, fixed wharf, floating wharves, and dredged harbour basin and entrance channel to support commercial fishing, marine transportation, tourism, and hunters. Construction is slated to continue through 2029, with the harbour expected to become fully operational for the 2030 open water season.
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N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]Representing the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, and other regional leaders met in Ottawa to demand federal investments in major northern infrastructure. The proposed initiatives include the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometer Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. These investments are framed as vital economic replacements following the closures of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines in 2026, alongside the upcoming closure of the Gahcho Kué mine in 2028. Territorial officials emphasized that these projects must proceed through co-management and shared decision-making to address both economic transition and severe community challenges such as high living costs and housing shortages.
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N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]The Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, led by Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, and N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, pressed federal ministers in Ottawa for major infrastructure investments as the territory faces the closure of major diamond mines like Ekati, Diavik, and Gahcho Kué. The delegation urged federal funding for Indigenous-led and co-managed projects, including the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. Territorial officials highlighted that historical underfunding and high operating costs leave local governments strained in delivering essential services across 33 communities while trying to pivot their economy.
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Treatment plant expected to end 10-year water advisory in Sanikiluaq under construction
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Indigenous]The Government of Nunavut awarded Hardy Construction a $38.5 million contract on April 1, 2026, to build a new water treatment plant in Sanikiluaq, replacing a facility that has been subject to a drinking water advisory since the summer of 2016 due to high salt content originating from the Belcher Islands' geography. The project, expected to be operational by October 2027, will draw water from Sanikiluaq Lake and utilize ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and chlorination processes to meet Health Canada guidelines for the community's approximately 1,100 residents. The upgraded facility will reduce municipal water truck fill times to 10 or 15 minutes, significantly lowering truck idling times, operational wear, and delivery inefficiencies.
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