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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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N.W.T. premier commits to transferring child and family services to Akaitcho First Nations
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-29 12:24:40.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Social Services, Governance]Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson has committed to transferring jurisdiction over child and family services to the Akaitcho First Nations following concerns raised at their annual general assembly regarding foster children being separated from their culture. The Yellowknives Dene First Nation has already indicated its intent to pursue the process, prompting the Department of Health and Social Services to initiate work on establishing a coordination agreement under the federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. Previous audits by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada highlighted major failings in the territorial system, including unverified foster home safety, missed welfare checks, and excessive caseworker loads surpassing the internal maximum of 11 cases.
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Auditor presses N.W.T. child and family services to assess its own needs
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-22 20:17:39.0
Tags: [National, Social Services, Governance, Indigenous]Canada's Office of the Auditor General (OAG) criticized Northwest Territories Child and Family Services—housed within the Department of Health and Social Services—for systemic staffing shortages, unmanageable caseloads triple internal maximums, and failing to systematically assess its own human resource needs. Deputy Auditor General Andrew Hayes reported that 98 percent of children in care in the N.W.T. are Indigenous, and persistent job vacancies continue to compromise welfare checks and foster home safety evaluations. In response, executive director of child and family services Arijana Haramincic stated the department has added 56 positions, expedited hiring, adjusted cultural training, and implemented bi-annual internal audits.
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Twelve New Sober Living Spaces Open in Prince Albert
Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-21 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Healthcare, Social Services, Indigenous]Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr announced $556,000 in annual funding to the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) to establish 12 new second-stage sober living spaces housed in two fourplexes in Prince Albert. Client intake began on August 7, 2026, with full operational capacity achieved on October 1, 2026, providing structured, substance-free, and culturally responsive environments for individuals continuing their recovery journeys. This initiative contributes to the Government of Saskatchewan's broader target of adding 500 new addictions recovery spaces across the province under the Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions, bringing the current total to 414 available spaces out of the 500 goal, backed by a record $674 million investment in the 2026-27 Provincial Budget.
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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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New Child Care Advisory Panel to Help Make Improvements to Child Care Services
Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-10-19 13:00:57.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Education, Social Services, Indigenous]The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, led by Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Paul Dinn, has established a 12-member Child Care Advisory Panel composed of child care operators to provide insights and recommendations on expanding child care services. Budget 2026 allocates nearly $33 million to support child care spaces, encompassing approximately 1,200 spaces in progress and the creation of an additional 400 new spaces, building on more than 470 spaces opened since October 2025. Additionally, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will issue a focused expression of interest to secure Indigenous representation on the panel. The panel operates alongside an early childhood educator steering committee tasked with guiding the introduction of pensions and benefits for early childhood educators in the province.
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Q&A | Navarana Beveridge looking ahead in her first week as NTI CEO
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-18 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Governance, Social Services]Navarana Beveridge assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) on October 5, 2026, bringing two decades of experience with Inuit organizations, including negotiating the Mary River Project Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement. In her first week, Beveridge outlined her priorities to focus on listening to leadership, preparing for the upcoming Annual General Meeting in Kugluktuk alongside President Gloria Uluqsi, and implementing the Inungnik Makipalliatittiniq strategic plan. She emphasized collaboration with government bodies and regional Inuit associations to address critical regional issues such as housing shortages, food insecurity, and family services.
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Saskatchewan Expands Ewikīwiyāhn Program to Improve Community Safety
Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-15 23:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Justice, Public Safety, Indigenous, Social Services]The Government of Saskatchewan is investing nearly $50,000 in the 2026-27 fiscal year to fund Phase Two of the Ewikīwiyāhn Indigenous Teachings and Healing Program across provincial adult correctional facilities. Created with guidance from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, the 15-session Indigenous-led curriculum combines traditional teachings like the Medicine Wheel and Seven Grandfather Teachings with practical life skills to support rehabilitation and reintegration. Phase Two focuses on training cultural coordinators to establish consistent, sustainable delivery across the adult correctional system following a successful pilot phase launched in March 2026 at the Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre and the Prince Albert Correctional Centre.
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Homelessness endures in Yellowknife after city adopted plan to prevent it by 2026
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-14 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Social Services, Indigenous, Municipal]Despite the City of Yellowknife adopting a 10-year plan in 2017 with the objective of eliminating homelessness by 2026, severe housing scarcity and encampments persist across the municipality. Administered by the City of Yellowknife, the federal Reaching Home program has allocated approximately $21 million between 2019 and 2028 to fund initiatives like the Home Base Line Drive Outreach program and the Yellowknife Women's Society Housing First program. Mayor Ben Hendriksen confirmed the original 10-year plan remains active without formal updates or reviews since its adoption, while housing advocates urge the city to expand land availability, increase low-income housing stock, and integrate Indigenous lived experts into municipal policymaking.
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Q&A | Rise in tuberculosis cases result of more detection efforts, Nunavut CPHO says
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-13 18:14:32.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Social Services, Indigenous]Nunavut's Department of Health reported 32 active cases of tuberculosis across seven communities in the first three quarters of 2026, compared to 26 cases the previous year, though Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Ekua Agyemang notes the figures remain down from 36 cases in 2024 and 67 in 2023. The territorial government, with support from the Canadian Red Cross, deployed mobile public health teams to establish TB clinics in Iqaluit, Kinngait, Kugaaruk, and Sanirajak, alongside outbreak-containment teams in Arviat and Naujaat. Dr. Agyemang attributed the recent uptick in detected cases to enhanced diagnostic screening capabilities rather than an overall programmatic regression, while emphasizing that persistent systemic drivers such as housing overcrowding and food insecurity—partially mitigated via food hampers provided alongside Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI)—continue to impact disease transmission.
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Nunavut’s Family Services admits reporting incorrect data on children in care, to the minister's surprise
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-13 09:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Social Services, Governance, Indigenous]Nunavut's Department of Family Services admitted that previously reported data stating 251 children and youth were in care as of June 30 was inaccurate and unverified, with actual figures reaching 440 children and youth living outside their family homes. Minister Gwen Healey Akearok stated she was unaware the department had provided incorrect numbers, which officials attributed to quality assurance capacity issues, staff summer leave, and vacancies reaching a 47 per cent rate as of March 31, 2025. The discrepancy reignited criticism from Nunavut's Representative for Children and Youth, Jane Bates, and Auditor General scrutiny regarding ongoing datakeeping failures and the tracking of vulnerable children.
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Behchokǫ̀ woman fights brain cancer and an 8-year wait for housing
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-09 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Indigenous, Social Services, Healthcare]Phoebe Nadezo, a 49-year-old resident of Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, has faced an eight-and-a-half-year wait for a social housing unit while battling brain cancer and homelessness since 2015. Housing N.W.T. reports that 168 applicants are currently on the social housing waitlist in Behchokǫ̀, where the average wait time is approximately two years. While Housing N.W.T. has cited recent initiatives—including five modular homes near completion, 10 units under construction, and a $480 million joint territorial-federal investment announced in July 2026 under Build Canada Homes for up to 560 units—local leaders like Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong point to systemic failures, such as over 10 boarded-up detached homes sitting empty due to a lack of repair budgets.
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Health Canada outlines plans for $144.8M in N.W.T. health care
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-05 17:04:20.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Indigenous, Social Services]Health Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories announced a bilateral health funding agreement totaling over $144.8 million, making the Northwest Territories the first jurisdiction in Canada to renew its ten-year national health accord. The funding includes $51.2 million under the Working Together stream directed toward physician training and recruitment, primary health-care team integration, and mental health programming over the next seven years. Additionally, $70.2 million in federal funding matched by $23.4 million in territorial funding will support 16 infrastructure projects across 12 communities, including an MRI machine space at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, a CT scanner in Inuvik, six health cabins in remote communities, a community wellness centre in Délı̨nę, and specialized spaces for an Indigenous clinic.
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Destroyed community hall to be cleared soon, paving way for Sanikiluaq’s new recreation hub
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-03 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Municipal, Indigenous, Social Services]The Hamlet of Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, has signed a contract with Hardy Construction to clear the rubble of its community hall, which was destroyed by a fire in 2024 following an earlier arena fire in 2023. Senior administrative officer Robert Hedley stated that debris removal will begin in mid-October 2025, while the municipality evaluates bids for a separate construction contract to rebuild both facilities over a projected two-year period. The upgraded recreational hub will feature an expanded community hall with an increased capacity of over 300 people—up from roughly 100—alongside a year-round arena measuring just over 50 metres long and 20 metres wide.
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Inuvik program to provide housing, transitional supports for men after addictions treatment
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-02 12:28:10.0
Tags: [National, Housing, Social Services, Indigenous, Healthcare]The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is preparing to open the Transitional Housing and Recovery Program (THARP) in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, featuring a four-bedroom house with eight beds. The facility aims to provide men returning from southern addictions treatment with safe housing, employment readiness training, after-care recovery support, land-based healing, and independent living skills. Program staff are completing training and navigating final government guidelines, with a projected opening as early as the end of the month.
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New federal petition calls for permanent health funding for residential school survivors
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-01 21:42:25.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Social Services, Healthcare, Justice]Winnipeg Centre Member of Parliament Leah Gazan submitted a House of Commons petition containing 930 signatures calling on the federal government to make health resource funding permanent for Indian Residential School survivors. The petition specifically targets the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program—established in 2006 under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement—which provides cultural, emotional, and mental health counseling and is currently scheduled to sunset in March 2028. Additionally, the petition demands permanent federal funding for the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, which assists Indigenous communities in conducting archival research and locating unmarked graves. The initiative also renews legislative calls to criminalize residential school denialism via a private member's bill initially re-tabled in October 2025.
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New Housing Units for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Development in North Battleford
Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-09-30 02:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Housing, Social Services, Indigenous]The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $650,000 through its Rental Development Program to the Battlefords Indian Métis Friendship Centre to develop eight new affordable housing units for individuals experiencing homelessness in North Battleford. The project, consisting of a single detached building with private bedrooms, bathrooms, and a shared kitchen and programming space, is expected to be completed in early 2027. Additional funding is provided via grants from the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Community Development Corporation, Reaching Home through Métis Nation Saskatchewan, and a land grant from the Battlefords Indian Métis Friendship Centre, which will also manage day-to-day operations and culturally appropriate support.
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Communities share feedback on Yukon’s MMIWG2S+ strategy
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-27 13:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Social Services, Justice, Public Safety]The Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle visited 14 communities across the Yukon and northern British Columbia earlier this year to gather feedback on the territory's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit strategy, which was released in 2020 with an implementation plan following in 2023. The findings will be compiled into a 'What We Heard' report to guide the implementation phase of the broader strategy led by partners including the Yukon's Women and Gender Equity Directorate. Key issues identified include a disconnect between colonial infrastructure and Indigenous oral traditions, resource disparities across northern British Columbia and Yukon communities, and a widespread public misconception regarding reporting a missing person to the RCMP.
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Renovations needed before long-delayed women's shelter in Sanikiluaq opens
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-26 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Social Services, Housing, Infrastructure, Indigenous]The opening of the $10 million Triple R Women's Emergency Shelter in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, funded by the federal government and operated by the Municipality of Sanikiluaq, has been delayed from December 2024 to late 2026 due to critical facility design and mechanical issues. Repairs required before the seven-family facility can open include fixing a malfunctioning diesel boiler by installing a day tank, adding electrical setups for stoves in the kitchen, constructing an accessible shower, and installing four additional water tanks in the garage to support 24/7 water delivery.
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