The Northwest Territories Geological Survey has opened the 2021-22 application period for the Northwest Territories (NWT) Mining Incentive Program (MIP). The NWT MIP provides funding to prospectors and exploration companies proposing new exploration projects or already carrying out NWT mineral exploration work.

In response to COVID-19, several changes were made to the 2020-2021 MIP. During 2021-2022, it is expected that the pandemic will continue to impact NWT mineral exploration and the majority of program changes made for 2020-2021 will be continued for the upcoming year.

Artwork from Beaufort-Delta artists is being highlighted in NWT Arts showcases in Inuvik.

NWT Arts and regional ITI staff teamed up to update the NWT Arts display at the Inuvik Airport while also establishing a new display case at the GNWT-ITI Beaufort-Delta office.

We know, eventually, that the COVID pandemic will come to an end – and visitors will once again travel the ITH (Inuvik-Tuk Highway) North to the Arctic coast.

In anticipation of this eventuality, something else travelled the ITH on February 1st – a new (temporary) Visitors Information Centre bound for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk.

Two NWT filmmakers were recognized for their creative ambitions last week when Bell Media’s announced this year’s winners for its Harold Greenberg Fund Northern Shorts Program.

Yellowknife’s Sadetło Scott and Hay River’s Heather Heinrichs will receive $20,000 to help turn the script they wrote together into a short film.

You may be surprised at how many NWT residents went camping last year! NWT residents registered 22,753 overnight visits in NWT parks - an increase of 46% from 2019.

Overall, the number of overnight visitors in NWT campgrounds last summer was down from previous years.  NWT parks and campgrounds, like everything else in the NWT, were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ITI’s Tourism and Parks Division compiles and reports key statistics annually to inform and guide its management of NWT parks – including 18 campgrounds.

Government contracts and purchases (known as procurement) are a source of economic activity throughout the NWT. The government believes that, as much as possible, NWT residents and businesses should benefit from this activity.

The GNWT has taken steps to ensure government purchases are made through NWT-owned businesses – leveraging this procurement into investments in the NWT’s business and manufacturing sectors.

With all of the challenges faced by the tourism industry this past year, operators have expanded and shifted their offerings in innovative ways, like focusing more on in-territory business through staycations and packages tailored for NWT residents.

Operators were not the only ones being innovative this year.

February 1, 2021

On Wednesday the Minister of ITI launched an independent review of the GNWT’s procurement policies and practices.

Review of Government Procurement Launched

Minister Wawzonek has put a panel in place to serve act as an independent and objective third party in this review -  and to help foster the kind of meaningful and, at times perhaps, difficult conversations that we need to have. 

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has launched an independent review of its procurement policies and practices.

Through interviews, written submissions, targeted engagement opportunities and online surveys, Indigenous Governments and Organizations, elected leaders, the business community, stakeholders and residents will all have an opportunity to share their perspectives and ideas in support of the GNWT’s mandated priority to: Ensure government procurement and contracting maximizes benefits to residents and businesses. 

An independent three-person panel has been established to support the review of government procurement.