The NWT government's 2025-26 budget was finalized, coming through the House in a 15-3 vote after more than $40 million in cash for housing was added.

The Yukon government approved three stewardship plans for its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program this week, giving organizations the go-ahead to start managing recycling later this year. The program is meant to shift the cost of recycling from governments and taxpayers to producers.

RCMP say a man died while in police custody on Wednesday in downtown Yellowknife. Shortly after officers arrested the man, who appeared to be intoxicated, RCMP say he began showing signs of medical distress.

Police in Yellowknife say the death of a man shortly after he was detained in the city's downtown on Wednesday is being investigated by Alberta RCMP.

An attempt by some MLAs to call a halt to the introduction of a new Indigenous Employment Policy at the territorial government failed by 13 votes to four.

A B.C. woman is decrying her daughter's "inhumane" treatment at a U.S. immigration detention centre in Arizona, and says it's been difficult to find out when she might be released.

RCMP stopped a vehicle after they got several reports Monday afternoon about two “suspicious individuals acting strangely in a luxury vehicle."

As provincial and territorial governments announced their share of court-approved compensation from the tobacco industry earlier this month, some anti-tobacco advocates said the governments didn’t get what they were fighting for.

“They settled for pennies on the dollar,” said Garfield Mahood in an interview with Nunatsiaq News.

Mahood is a long-time activist who in 2007 was made an officer of the Order of Canada for his anti-tobacco advocacy.

The Ontario Superior Court approved a $32.5-billion settlement in a ruling released March 6.

It’s part of a decades-long legal battle the provinces and territories launched in 1998 against Canada’s three largest tobacco distributors: Imperial Tobacco Ltd.; Rothmans, Benson & Hedges; and JTI-Macdonald Corp.

The settled sum is 15 times lower than the original $500 billion in tobacco-related health-care costs the governments were seeking, Mahood said, adding the real total harm caused by tobacco is much larger.

“It’s an embarrassment,” he said. “You can hardly describe that as a win.”

As part of the settlement, Nunavut will receive $97 million to help strengthen health-care services, support research into smoking-related diseases, and hold tobacco companies accountable for their past actions, the Nunavut government said March 7 in a news release.

As well, individual Nunavummiut, like the rest of Canadians, will be able to apply for compensation for the harm they suffered from smoking.

To be eligible, a claimant must have smoked at least 87,600 cigarettes sold by the involved Canadian tobacco companies between Jan. 1, 1950, and Nov. 20, 1998, and must have been alive on March 8, 2019. For someone who smoked for that entire period, it averages about five cigarettes a day.

They must have also been diagnosed in Canada with emphysema, lung cancer or throat cancer between March 8, 2015, and March 8, 2019.

Emphysema patients can receive up to $18,000, and lung or throat cancer patients are eligible for up to $60,000, Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, said in a phone interview.

The society took part in the litigations.

“We wanted there to be more public health measures to reduce tobacco use in the settlement, and in the end those measures are very inadequate,” Cunningham said.

He added public health measures are especially needed in places like Nunavut, with the highest smoking rates.

In 2018, 70 per cent of Nunavummiut age 16 and older smoked tobacco, with some communities reaching 84 per cent.

By comparison, that year the average smoking rate across the provinces was 16 per cent for people age 12 and older, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey.

Smoking causes an increased risk for cancers and leukemia and kills more than 46,000 people each year, according to the Cancer Society.

Hay River will give each household a new waste cart – and introduce a monthly levy – as part of a new-look garbage collection program that starts in mid-April.

The number of children waiting for oral surgeries in Nunavut is down since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number on the list is still a “concerning” issue.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Health Minister John Main said in an interview Feb. 28 at the legislative assembly.

There are 780 children on the wait-list for general anesthetic oral surgeries, Main told MLAs that day.

“Children that are having dental issues, especially at that level of seriousness, it impacts their diet, their sleep, their education. You name it,” Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes said in response.

The number is down since the 2022 backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were more than 1,200 children on the wait-list, Main said, adding that in 2023 about 1,000 children received treatment.

Main didn’t say how long patients usually remain on the wait-list, as it depends on the ability to provide a particular service at a given time.

There are several ways Nunavummiut can access dental care: Iqaluit General Hospital; one of the three private dental care clinics in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet; and southern health centres, including the health centre in Churchill, Man.

There are also dental workers contracted by the Government of Nunavut who visit all 25 communities, who can assist with less invasive dental issues.

Typically, those dental teams work from local health centres and schools. They include a dentist, a hygienist and some additional support staff, Main said.

Each community has a specific number of days allocated for when the dental service is available.

Currently, the dental teams are visiting several communities in all three Nunavut regions, according to the government’s 2025 winter clinical dental service schedule.

The NWT's wildfire agency says its staff will be burning brush piles outside Yellowknife for the next week or so, which means you might see smoke.

Residents reported people "acting strangely in a luxury vehicle" on a Sahtu winter road. Police say they found drugs and a gun. Two Alberta men face charges.

The Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs says about 80 per cent of volunteer firefighters in the territory are wearing expired protective equipment, putting them in danger and in violation of occupational health and safety regulations when they respond to emergencies.

Efforts to bring the Taltson hydro facility in the N.W.T. back online have been delayed again because of a vibration within the unit that's causing concern, according to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Nunavik’s teachers union is accusing Kativik Ilisarniliriniq and Quebec government of using bad faith negotiations as the three parties attempt to negotiate a collective agreement for around 450 educators. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)

The union representing teachers in Nunavik has filed a formal complaint against Kativik Ilisarniliriniq and Quebec’s Ministry of Education, accusing them of using bad faith in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

“[Negotiations] have not moved in months and we have no answers to our demands,” said Larry Imbeault, president of the Association of Employees in Northern Quebec, in a French interview.

“We had no choice but to use this option.”

The complaint was sent to Quebec’s administrative workers tribunal, a labor law body tasked to hasten reconciliation and help organizations reach settlements, on March 11.

It alleges that by refusing to offer answers, counter-proposals or participate in negotiations, the province and school board are transgressing their obligation to negotiate in good faith.

The complaint lays out a detailed recount of events from the union’s perspective, since the collective agreement expired March 31, 2023.

Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the union and the Quebec government have been in negotiations to renew a collective agreement since Oct. 31, 2022. Around 450 Nunavik educators fall under the agreement.

The union called for a brief strike in December, which ran from Jan. 16 to Jan. 21 this year.

Since then, the union says, only one brief meeting has happened by videoconference. The union brought a new document that explains the need for bonus premiums, which have not been updated since 2001 for Nunavik teachers.

The school board did not provide a response to the demand and said it did not know when it would be able to, the union says.

A meeting was planned for March 14, but the school board has not confirmed attendance.

The union has also asked the school board to provide a meeting calendar for the period between May and December 2025, a response to the union’s demands, and $60,000 to compensate for legal fees and punitive damages.

“At the moment, we are focusing on legal means to get things moving,” said Imbeault. “We don’t think strikes will get things moving because we have the impression that it did not shake the school board.”

Imbeault said he is worried the lingering negotiations will drag into the next school year, which could impact how many educators choose to come back and work in Nunavik.

“I am scared that [the negotiations] will demotivate people to stay at the school board,” he said.

Kativik Ilisarniliriniq spokesperson Jade Bernier declined to comment on the situation.

Two people from Quaqtaq in northern Quebec are dead and two others have minor injuries from the cold after they went out hunting last week and got stuck in a blizzard, according to the Nunavik Police Service. 

Now that the Inuit Child First Initiative has been extended, the City of Iqaluit is asking the public to be patient as it figures out what’s next for its food voucher program.

The city has provided food vouchers since November to families with Inuit children using funding from the initiative.

Eligible families with children under the age of 18 can receive $500 per child monthly to spend on food. Families with children under four years of age can receive an additional $250 per child for items like diapers, wipes and baby formula.

The initiative, funded by Indigenous Services Canada, was due to expire at the end of March. But on Saturday, Gary Anandasangaree, the Crown-Indigenous relations minister, announced funding has been extended for one year, to March 31, 2026.

Territorial leaders and children’s health advocates welcomed the news.

However, the city’s $5.4-million funding agreement with Indigenous Services Canada still expires this coming March 31 — the original expiry date for the federal program.

“We are awaiting further details on how the renewed funding may affect our program, including potential changes to the application process,” a news release issued Wednesday by the City of Iqaluit said.

“We appreciate the value this initiative brings to Iqaluit families and will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.”

Several other Nunavut communities have also signed onto the Inuit Child First Initiative food voucher fund.

The NWT's finance minister said she would add $41.6 million in new housing spending to the draft budget, among other commitments. A vote is expected this week.

A small community in northern Alberta has reported a measles outbreak. At the last count, two households were believed to be affected. Here are the details.

A Ricky's All Day Grill is set to open its doors in Yellowknife on Friday – continuing the apparent revitalization of a downtown mall.

Yellowknife's team brought home two things from curling's Rotarians of Western Canada bonspiel: a sportsmanship trophy and the right to host next year's event.

Judo Nunavut athletes returned to Iqaluit Monday with some extra carry-on luggage after competing in the Edmonton International Tournament, an annual Judo Canada-sanctioned event held over the weekend.

The 16 athletes returned with 15 medals, including seven golds, earned in competition against athletes from across Canada.

Daniel Smook and Henri Lagacé demonstrate some of the kata moves that earned them medals in Edmonton. (Photo by Daron Letts)

“Sometimes the athletes surprise themselves with what they can do,” said Michael Smook, head coach. “Just by stepping onto that mat, they’ve already won.”

Some of the youngest athletes earned medals by demonstrating the katas, a series of choreographed movements that mimic the actions used in a judo fighting competition.

“It’s a demonstration of judo’s core mechanics,” said Henri Lagacé, 12, who won two bronze medals. “It is the essence of judo.”

Fellow athlete Daniel Smook, 11, who has been training with Judo Nunavut for six years, earned gold.

“I just love the sport and learning self defence,” he said, adding he won two out of four fighting competitions as well.

Both students help mentor and coach younger students in the organization’s under-seven cohort.

Judo Nunavut’s eldest student to compete, Julian Gissing, 17, won silver in the under-21 advanced category.

The coaches were back hosting practice at Aqsarniit Middle School the night after their return. Plans are already afoot for the next southern tournament, the 2025 Open Nationals Judo Championships from May 15 to 18 in Calgary, said coach Matilda Pinksen.

Miki-jaq Bracken earned gold in the under-14 novice category at the Edmonton International Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Matilda Pinksen)

Judo Nunavut is preparing to send seven athletes to the Canada Winter Games in Quebec in February 2027, which will be the sport’s largest representation from Nunavut to date, she said.

Judo Nunavut was established 21 years ago and includes 157 registered members from age four to students in their forties.

Their judo training season ends in May.

Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek said the territory would also be adding money for housing and developing a policy to forgive arrears for elders. MLAs are expected to vote Thursday on the budget, before the assembly adjourns until May.

The Yukon’s minister of health and social services expressed her continued trust in the Connective Support Society on Tuesday, amid calls for the territorial government to end its contract with the organization.

The Government of Nunavut is looking for a new location for Iqaluit’s beer and wine store, says Finance Minister Lorne Kusugak.

“It’s there because that’s where the beer and wine was stored, I guess,” Kusugak said, referring to the store’s Allannguaq Street location in the city’s downtown area. “But, it’s long outlived its purpose.”

Kusugak, whose department oversees the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission, shared the news during a legislative assembly committee Monday. It came as MLAs were discussing the Finance Department’s $111-million budget and business plan for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

A couple of years ago, the GN was in talks with a property owner interested in selling a unit that could be used as a new store, Kusugak said, but those plans changed.

Now, the minister says, the department continues to look for what he describes as a “better location.”

Kusugak said he doesn’t have a new site in mind.

“I think we need to be a little more aggressive in finding a better location for it,” Kusugak said.

“The location where it’s at, it’s out in the corner of a spot where the traffic flow just doesn’t work there. So hopefully, we’ll find something a little more suitable.”

Public safety — including instances of violence, theft and public drinking — has been a recurring issue around the beer and wine store in recent years, at the legislative assembly and at city council.

During this winter sitting, Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone, whose riding includes the store, has repeated his calls for increased safety measures around the store, especially during the summer.

“That’s really great to hear, that you’re allocating a budget specifically for looking into relocating the beer and wine store,” Lightstone said during Monday’s meeting.

Kusugak said he doesn’t have a “hard timeline” for the search.

On Tuesday, he said that in the short-term his department will work with the city on traffic and safety issues.

“We’ll see what the city wants to do or is doing with the situation and we’ll participate,” Kusugak said.

“People have to be safe in the city, so our department will do what it can to make sure that at the minimum they are safe going in and out of the beer and wine store.”

Nunavut songwriters of all ages have the chance to compete for more than $12,000 in prizes by entering Qilaut 2025, the territory’s 10th annual Inuktut songwriting contest.

“This contest allows emerging and established artists to celebrate and connect with our culture through song and language,” Premier P.J. Akeeagok said in the legislative assembly March 3, speaking in his role as minister of culture and heritage.

This year’s themes are Pirursatillunga and Inuit Sanasimajangit, which translate into English as “when I was growing up” and “Inuit creations,” according to the Department of Culture and Heritage.

“These themes invite participants to reflect on the importance of our language and culture, and we look forward to hearing the diverse interpretations and creative expressions they inspire,” said Akeeagok.

The first-place winner will receive $5,000, second place gets $2,500, third place gets $1,500 and seven runners-up will each receive $500.

Winners also have the chance to have their songs professionally recorded for a compilation album that will be distributed later this year. They get to perform at three concerts in Nunavut as well.

Over the past decade, 81 songs and 11 albums have been recorded and released as part of the contest. Past winners include Jocelyn Ukutak Malla, Joey Nowyuk and Jo Ellen Etuangat.

Original, unpublished songs recorded in any dialect of Inuktut by individuals or groups can be sent to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. on May 5.