Latest news with #N.W.T.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lack of rent control in N.W.T. to be reassessed this year, minister says
Northwest Territories ministers have responded to criticism over recent big rent increases of hundreds of dollars for some Housing N.W.T. owned units. Last month, rent increase notices were sent out to residents who rent market-rate units from Housing N.W.T. Housing N.W.T. has said they wanted to better match unit rent rates with territorial averages. However since there haven't been rent increases to their market units since 2012, residents will see their rent go up anywhere from around $300 to over $700. The market-rate units in small communities are typically occupied by essential workers such as teachers and healthcare workers or community members. Housing Minister Lucy Kuptana said increasing the rents was a "tough but necessary decision" in a statement to CBC. She said the adjustment was crucial to maintain fairness in the housing market, and the additional revenue is needed because of declining federal support. "No one wants to increase rental rates, but with increasing cost and decreasing operating funding, we needed to make this hard decision so that we can continue to offer housing programs. Heating costs are included, along with maintenance and repairs," the statement reads. Justice Minister Jay Macdonald wrote in a statement that the territory has also explored implementing some form of rent control in the past, and will soon be revisiting those discussions. "Given the issues raised by the Rental Office and other stakeholders, the Department of Justice has committed to a new, thorough review of the [Residential Tenancies] Act, in 2025," wrote MacDonald. "The issue of rent control will be re-evaluated as part of this review, ensuring that we address current challenges and consider all perspectives." Many of Canada's provinces and the Yukon have some form of rent increase caps, but the N.W.T. does not. MacDonald said the government looked into rent cap measures a few years ago, during the 17th Legislative Assembly, when they did a review of the Residential Tenancy Act. But they ultimately decided against them. "[That] decision was based on research, experiences in other jurisdictions, and the unique housing situation in the N.W.T.," wrote MacDonald. Rent increase limits typically apply to all landlords in a jurisdiction, and would likely apply to Housing N.W.T. as well as private landlords. Kuptana concluded her statement by saying that other supports are currently of the supports she mentioned was the Canada-NWT Housing Benefit, which can provide up to $800 a month for eligible residents who pay over 30 per cent of their gross income in rent. "This benefit is here to support people who may be affected by the recent rent change. If you think you might qualify, I encourage you to apply or reach out to the Housing N.W.T. team for more information."
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Lack of rent control in N.W.T. to be reassessed this year, minister says
Northwest Territories ministers have responded to criticism over recent big rent increases of hundreds of dollars for some Housing N.W.T. owned units. Last month, rent increase notices were sent out to residents who rent market-rate units from Housing N.W.T. Housing N.W.T. has said they wanted to better match unit rent rates with territorial averages. However since there haven't been rent increases to their market units since 2012, residents will see their rent go up anywhere from around $300 to over $700. The market-rate units in small communities are typically occupied by essential workers such as teachers and healthcare workers or community members. Housing Minister Lucy Kuptana said increasing the rents was a "tough but necessary decision" in a statement to CBC. She said the adjustment was crucial to maintain fairness in the housing market, and the additional revenue is needed because of declining federal support. "No one wants to increase rental rates, but with increasing cost and decreasing operating funding, we needed to make this hard decision so that we can continue to offer housing programs. Heating costs are included, along with maintenance and repairs," the statement reads. Justice Minister Jay Macdonald wrote in a statement that the territory has also explored implementing some form of rent control in the past, and will soon be revisiting those discussions. "Given the issues raised by the Rental Office and other stakeholders, the Department of Justice has committed to a new, thorough review of the [Residential Tenancies] Act, in 2025," wrote MacDonald. "The issue of rent control will be re-evaluated as part of this review, ensuring that we address current challenges and consider all perspectives." Many of Canada's provinces and the Yukon have some form of rent increase caps, but the N.W.T. does not. MacDonald said the government looked into rent cap measures a few years ago, during the 17th Legislative Assembly, when they did a review of the Residential Tenancy Act. But they ultimately decided against them. "[That] decision was based on research, experiences in other jurisdictions, and the unique housing situation in the N.W.T.," wrote MacDonald. Rent increase limits typically apply to all landlords in a jurisdiction, and would likely apply to Housing N.W.T. as well as private landlords. Kuptana concluded her statement by saying that other supports are currently of the supports she mentioned was the Canada-NWT Housing Benefit, which can provide up to $800 a month for eligible residents who pay over 30 per cent of their gross income in rent. "This benefit is here to support people who may be affected by the recent rent change. If you think you might qualify, I encourage you to apply or reach out to the Housing N.W.T. team for more information."
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
06-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Former N.W.T. teacher denies abusing boys
WARNING: This article contains graphic details that may be disturbing. It also may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. A former N.W.T. teacher and coach accused of sexually assaulting some of his players denied he had any kind of sexual contact with his accusers. Neil Barry testified in his own defence on Monday, at the beginning of the third week of his jury trial in Yellowknife. When asked by his lawyer if he had fondled the boys he coached, Barry answered: "Never. Nothing like that ever happened." The prosecutor alleges Barry sexually abused four boys, then aged 16 to 18. The offences are alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2011. Barry testified that he was on good terms with his players and that they maintained contact with him and visited him after he stopped coaching them, and after the alleged sexual assaults occurred. His lawyer questioned him about a Facebook message exchange with one of his accusers years after the alleged incidents. Barry messaged the player to suggest he should get his passport and join a team Barry was coaching in Arizona. "I wouldn't mind playing for you one more time," the former player responded. Barry said he had no involvement in some of the events where the assaults allegedly occurred, including the Canada Games basketball tryouts in Yellowknife in 2009, where his accusers say Barry initiated sexual contact with them. Barry said he knew two of his former players were trying out for the team but had no contact with them. Barry said there is a grain of truth to some of the allegations levelled against him. He said he did play card games at his home with some of the players he coached, but said there was never any drinking during the games, as the players allege. He said one card game they played included dares where "once or twice" players or he would be required to take off clothing down to their underwear. "It wasn't sexual in any way," testified Barry. "It was just a dare, to be funny." Barry said, similarly, there was a grain of truth to some of the former players' allegations that he masturbated in front of them. Barry said two of the players who were staying with him and his wife in their home once walked into the bathroom as he was masturbating. "I said get out. He kind of saw what I was doing, because he was laughing." Barry said the other boy then poked his head in and mocked him. Barry is expected to face questioning by the prosecutor on Tuesday.
CBC
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
2 Yellowknife city councillors want to be city's next mayor
Two Yellowknife city councillors have stepped forward to become Yellowknife's next mayor, hoping to fill the seat Rebecca Alty left vacant when she was elected to be the N.W.T.'s Member of Parliament. Garrett Cochrane and Stacie Arden-Smith both announced on social media that they want the job, though council hasn't yet said how it will replace Alty. Arden-Smith has been on Yellowknife city council since 2018. She said she is running to increase representation of Indigenous women in leadership roles. "I have a passion for my community, I want to be of service and I think it's important to make sure that all voices are being heard," she said in an interview with CBC. Cochrane has been on city council since 2022 and said he wants to serve as mayor because of his love of the city. "This community is my passion," he told CBC. "As mayor, I will continue to collaborate with my colleagues and work with the administration in addressing the defining issues of our city." City council has not yet decided how Alty's replacement will be chosen. The territory's Local Authorities Elections Act offers city council three potential courses of action: appoint a new mayor from within its ranks, hold a byelection, or leave the seat empty until the next municipal election. CBC has previously asked Yellowknife city councillors if they would be interested in taking on the mayor's role. Councillors Warburton, Cat McGurk, Tom McLennan and Steve Payne said they would not. Councillor Hendriksen declined to say yes or no, and Councillor Ryan Fequet did not respond.
