Latest news with #N.W.T
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Here's why Ottawa still covers most of the N.W.T.'s annual budget
This year, the territory is receiving about $1.8B through federal funding to cover its $2.5B budget It's the biggest source of revenue for the N.W.T. government this year, just as it was last year and the year before that: federal transfer payments. "Territorial Formula Financing is the largest source of the government's revenues and the primary driver of overall revenue growth," N.W.T. Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek told MLAs last week, during a committee meeting to help them understand how the funding works. In 2025-26, the N.W.T. is receiving about $1.8 billion through Territorial Formula Financing, a major chunk of revenue for its $2.5 billion budget to run the territory this year. The funding is also especially useful because it's unconditional, and can be spent however the territory wants. Why the N.W.T. gets this funding N.W.T. finance department officials said the formula for this transfer payment takes into account several factors including the territory's population growth, and spending on public services elsewhere in Canada. This year, the federal government has calculated that the N.W.T. will need $2.2 billion to deliver public services such as health, infrastructure, and education, that are comparable to what is available in the provinces. But the territorial government is only expected to be able to raise $386 million in revenue through taxes — less than a fifth of that $2.2 billion. The $386 million would include revenue from personal income taxes, business income taxes, property taxes, and other sources. "That gap is just so large relative to what we see elsewhere, that we need a special type of transfer," Trevor Tombe, an economics professor at the University of Calgary, told CBC News. Tombe says the Territorial Formula Financing from Canada bridges this gap, so the N.W.T. can offer public services similar to the provinces. He added it's unlikely the territory would ever be able to outgrow this support, pointing out that this year's Territorial Formula Financing is around five times as much money as the N.W.T. could get from taxes over the same period. He says the additional money is necessary to run a vast, sparsely populated territory. "N.W.T. is not unique," Tombe said. "Yukon and Nunavut are also quite reliant on Territorial Formula Financing for the simple reason that spending needs to be a lot higher to deliver comparable levels of public services compared to the tax base that actually exists in the territories." Population effect In the briefing, several MLAs told Department of Finance officials that most N.W.T. residents believe the funding is calculated solely based on population numbers, so increasing the territory's population would result in getting more money in total — but staff at the department said that's not completely accurate. Tombe explained the payment is based on how much spending on public services has increased across the country, as well the N.W.T.'s population. He said in the most recent aggregate figure, about $820 billion was being spent altogether across the provinces to deliver public services. That increased from about $767 billion the year earlier, a seven-per-cent increase in total provincial and local spending elsewhere. He said some of that increase in spending Canada-wide is because of population growth in other parts of the country. Tombe says the N.W.T.'s population growth is about 1.6 per cent slower than other places in the country — and this number is used to calculate how different the increase in funding for N.W.T. services should be than that national average. "If the population in N.W.T. is growing more slowly than what we observe elsewhere, then we want to deflate, you know, how much of an increase N.W.T. would get," Tombe said. The N.W.T.'s Territorial Formula Financing of $1.8 billion is up from about $1.7 billion last year, less than that seven per cent number to reflect the N.W.T.'s slower population growth. Currently, the N.W.T. gets about $42,000 of Territorial Formula Financing per person. "There's a lot going on under the hood," Tombe said.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Liberal Rebecca Alty 'really looking forward' to representing N.W.T. in Ottawa
Alty says she'll be stepping down as Yellowknife's mayor Rebecca Alty, the newly elected Liberal MP in the Northwest Territories, says she's looking forward to representing the territory in Ottawa and getting to work. "It's definitely a whirlwind," she said of the election on CBC's The Trailbreaker Tuesday morning. "It's so much work leading up to it and then it's this big moment, so yeah, really looking forward to it, it's a really big job." Alty said the territory is facing big challenges — and that top of mind for residents on the campaign trail had been drugs, housing and the economy. Now that the results are in, she said it'll be nice to get to work. Alty, who is in her second term as Yellowknife mayor, said one of the first things she'll do after cleaning up her election signs is signing her official resignation from her role at the city's helm. Once in Ottawa, she said she'll be pushing for a funding approval related to the Our Land for the Future conservation deal. That deal, signed last year by almost all Indigenous governments in the N.W.T. as well as the federal government and private donors, unlocked $375 million for long-term conservation. Alty said because Parliament was prorogued in January, funding didn't get approved on time. N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson congratulated Alty on her election in a statement. "As a proud Northerner, she brings a deep understanding of the territory's people, challenges and opportunities," he wrote. "I look forward to working with her to deliver results for Northerners in Ottawa." He said he looked forward to working with Carney as well, and noted the Prime Minister was born in Fort Smith, meaning he has a connection to the territory. "I look forward to building a strong and productive partnership focused on unlocking the full potential of the North for the benefit of all Canadians," said Simpson. At the time of the interview, it was still too close to say whether the Liberals would have a minority or majority government. Asked how she would make sure the N.W.T would get the attention it deserves in Ottawa, Alty said she'd build coalitions with other MPs across the country to amplify similar messages together. "There are differences in the North and I'll continue to highlight those, but really making sure we can amplify and build those coalitions to make a strong N.W.T. and a strong country," she said. Alty had 8,580 votes with 108 of 109 polls reporting as of Tuesday morning. Kimberly Fairman with the Conservatives was behind her with 5,284 votes. Kelvin Kotchilea, the NDP candidate, had 1,926 votes while the Green Party's Angela Davidson, also known as Rainbow Eyes, had 163.
CBC
26-04-2025
- CBC
Woman convicted of dangerous driving causing death in 2022 Yellowknife collision
A woman who hit a man with a truck in a Yellowknife three years ago has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death. Hannah Lafferty hit Germaine Mantla with her father's Ford F150 truck outside Yellowknife's Bison Estates apartment complex in April 2022, causing Mantla serious injuries which later led to his death. N.W.T. Judge Elizabeth Hughes on Friday found Lafferty guilty of dangerous driving causing death, rejecting Lafferty's argument that she was driving recklessly to avoid being assaulted by a woman who was hanging on to her car. Lafferty's trial was held earlier this year. Dozens of people watched as the judge read her verdict, there to support Lafferty or Mantla's family. Some were seated in the courtroom while others watched in a separate overflow room where the verdict was broadcast. In her decision, Hughes pointed to witness testimony that Lafferty was accelerating quickly, swerving, and driving on the wrong side of the road at the time of the incident. Her driver's side door was also open, with a woman holding on to the car. According to Hughes, Lafferty said at trial that she had been at the Bison Estates to drop off a man she was dating at the home of the man's ex-partner, Ikeda Lafferty, to pick up a dog from her. Hannah Lafferty did not know Ikeda Lafferty at all. Ikeda Lafferty then walked to Hannah Lafferty's car and opened the door. Hughes said Hannah Lafferty argued at trial that she believed Ikeda Lafferty was trying to attack her, which is why she began accelerating and swerving so the other woman would let go of the car. The car then hit Mantla, a bystander on the opposite side of the road. Hughes found that Hannah Lafferty had no reason to assume Ikeda Lafferty would physically assault her, and even if she did it would not justify Hannah Lafferty's dangerous driving.
CBC
10-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Yukon lawyer says N.W.T.'s proposed eviction legislation targeting drug dealers could be unconstitutional
The N.W.T. Department of Justice is planning public engagement on Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) legislation this fall, but a Yukon lawyer is warning that such a law could be unconstitutional. The SCAN Act would allow the government to bypass the Residential Tenancies Act and the criminal justice system to shut down buildings with criminal activity and kick out drug dealers. It's part of a suite of proposals that the N.W.T.'s premier has said will make buildings and people living in them safer. A SCAN Act was voted down in the territory more than a decade ago, and has proven controversial elsewhere such as in the Yukon – where a judge struck down parts of the act in September, ruling that allowing governments to evict tenants with five days' notice infringes on the Charter rights to security of the person. Vincent Larochelle, who represented a woman accused of drug trafficking in that case, said the legislation risks "inviting everyone to become … a vigilante without any checks or balances" and could amplify racial biases. In 2020, government officials served Larochelle's client, Celia Wright, with a five-day eviction notice following complaints of alleged drug activity in her rental unit in a Whitehorse suburb. The eviction applied to everyone living at the property, including her eight children and, according to Larochelle, made Wright's elderly mother-in-law homeless. "If you're going to affect someone's rights based on criminal behaviour, the proper process to do that is the criminal justice system," said Larochelle. A spate of drug-related crime, alleged murders and fatal overdoses in the N.W.T. are reviving calls from MLAs and the premier to establish SCAN legislation. This October, the N.W.T. Department of Justice will seek public feedback on the act, as well as a proposed Civil Forfeiture Act allowing police to seize proceeds of crime and a Trespass Act to remove people causing disturbances. Legislation could be introduced by summer 2026, a department spokesperson said in a Tuesday email. A cabinet spokesperson said Jay Macdonald, the recently appointed justice minister and the N.W.T. Premier were unavailable for an interview for this story. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Feb. 6, Simpson said the goal of the proposed legislation is to "make [the N.W.T.] a miserable place for drug dealers to do business." SCAN legislation emerged from Manitoba in the 2000s because businesses were being affected by street crime. Such laws are now in force in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Alberta. Civil liberties association monitoring for changes Larochelle said in practice, a SCAN Act creates housing instability which can increase criminal activity. Short-notice evictions cause "extraordinary psychological suffering" and displace vulnerable people onto the streets or into the homes of family and friends, he said. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) intervened in Wright v. Yukon because SCAN represents a "gross deprivation of liberty interest", said CCLA equality program director, Harini Sivalingam. "People that had nothing to do with the activities that were being targeted — family members, children, grandparents, roommates — all of those individuals were getting swept up in this as well," said Sivalingam. The CCLA will monitor legislative changes in the N.W.T., she said. He said the targets of SCAN legislation are often already ensnared with the criminal justice system, child and family services or grappling with addictions. They are very vulnerable, have a lot of internalized guilt, and don't usually hire legal counsel to fight the eviction notice, he said. Celia Wright, however, launched a Charter challenge. "She knew what it meant to her brothers and sisters, Indigenous people in the Yukon and she would have none of it," he said. Human rights commission will provide feedback In 2007, N.W.T. MLAs voted down a similar bill. RCMP were "keenly interested" in the legislation at the time according to an Aug. 21, 2007 letter. The N.W.T. Human Rights Commission back then urged MLAs to scrap it. Its current chair, Charles Dent, said in a recent interview the commission will supply comments on any future legislation, such as how a person's social condition, like being low-income, is a protected ground. If someone lives in a building that is the only one they can afford, and the criminal actions of others trigger an eviction, this contravenes the N.W.T. Human Rights Act, he said. "Discrimination that can be tied to any of the protected grounds or areas will have to be carefully examined before determining whether or not SCAN legislation is going to be workable in the N.W.T.," he said.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Tłı̨chǫ elder remembered as family man, jokester, and negotiator with 'big legacy'
A well-known Tłı̨chǫ elder in the N.W.T. is being remembered as a kind and loving family man, a jokester, and a land-claim negotiator who leaves behind a "really big legacy." Ted Blondin died early Saturday morning at the hospital in Yellowknife according to his nephew, Tim O'Loan. So many people were there to say goodbye, said O'Loan, that the cafeteria became something of a waiting room. "What an incredible legacy when you have that many people showing up to the hospital to say goodbye," said O'Loan. Among those Blondin leaves behind are his wife, Violet Camsell-Blondin, and their children and grandchildren. Blondin was the chief negotiator of the Dene Métis process. In 1990, Dene and Métis leadership did not ratify the agreement that emerged from that process but it did become a framework for regional negotiations – including the Tłı̨chǫ Land Claims and Self-Government Agreement, which Blondin would also become involved in, led by "He was one of the main pillars, that's for sure," recalled John B. Zoe, who led those negotiations. The negotiating work Blondin had already done meant he had helpful connections within the territorial government and in Ottawa, said Zoe. "Every time we travelled … he did all the correspondence and looking for the money and all that kind of stuff to keep it going," he said. Having been a co-founder and editor at The Native Press, Zoe said Blondin was also a good communicator, with skills to get the claim "to the forefront" — which Zoe said they needed. In a statement, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson called Blondin a "remarkable leader whose vision and commitment helped shape the future of the Tłįchǫ Region and the Northwest Territories. "His tireless efforts to advance education, health, social well-being, and self-governance — most recently as chair of the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency — leave a legacy of service that will be felt for generations." 'Loved to tease, loved to laugh' Zoe also recalled a time Blondin, then managing a school, convinced him to fill in on his volleyball team for a weekend matchup. Zoe, a shift engineer at the time, had been there to check on a heating or air exchange system and was wearing his work attire – but he agreed to play. "I just kind of struggled through it," he said. The team won the game, and then "all of a sudden there was a reporter there … they snapped a picture of us and I didn't know what was going on." A week later, Zoe saw that the Native Press printed a story about the game – saying the team he'd been on had won the territorial championships. "I ended up there in the paper with him [Blondin]," he said with a laugh. O'Loan, who now lives in Ottawa, said that his uncle leaves behind a big legacy. He also has fond memories of the uncle he describes more as a "father figure." O'Loan said he was adopted, but when he moved home to the N.W.T. in 1998, "Uncle Ted was there, and without judgment — just basically brought me into his life. "He just, like, made me feel at home." O'Loan said his uncle had been a survivor of residential schools, but he didn't let the trauma of his youth hinder him. "He was a trickster and a jokester, loved to tease, loved to laugh, you know, just kind of lived a very authentic, loving life," said O'Loan. Even after having a severe stroke ten years ago, O'Loan said when he'd visit Blondin "the magic was still there" and that "even the stroke did not impact his soul." O'Loan said he recently travelled to Edmonton to say goodbye, before his uncle was brought back to Yellowknife. He said the family had been "comforted in the fact that it was time for the Creator to call him home."
