Month In Review – Northwest Territories

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Month In Review – Northwest Territories

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LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Jun 2: The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) ended a survey asking the public to weigh in on how the minimum wage is determined and adjusted for inflation each year. Going forward, the GNWT will conduct minimum wage surveys every three years, rather than annually.

Action Point: Find out how to avoid common payroll errors when implementing minimum wage increases.

New Laws

May 4: Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, which owns and operates the Ekati Diamond Mine in Northwest Territories, filed for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. The GNWT says it’s closely monitoring the situation and will take actions to support affected workers by connecting them with income and employment programs, career and mental health counselling, job referrals, and retraining.

Training

Apr 17: With unemployment in the territories at 6.2%, Ottawa and the Northwest Territories announced a joint investment of $1.5 million over three years to support workers in diamond mining and other sectors hurt by US tariffs and global market shifts. The money will be provided via the new Canada–Northwest Territories Workforce Tariff Response, which will be integrated into the NWT’s existing labour market programs, to finance employment services workers need to retrain, upskill, and transition into new opportunities.

Action Point: Find out about the 8 ways the U.S. tariffs affect Canadian workplaces and HR activities.

New Laws

Apr 20: Premier Simpson announced that the Northwest Territories will follow British Columbia and Alberta in moving to end seasonal time changes and adopting a permanent year-round daylight-saving time standard. The government will announce the details of the transition later this year.

New Laws

May 15: The federal government announced over $13 million in funding for a Northwestel project to bring high-speed Internet access to up to 869 Indigenous households in up to 9 northern communities across the Northwest Territories. The funding is provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that Canadians in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities have access to reliable high-speed Internet.

Workers’ Compensation

May 4: The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) revised the formula it uses to annually adjust pensions and other workers’ compensation payments and benefits to reflect changes in the cost of living due to inflation. The Board of Directors is expected to approve the policy changes at its upcoming governance meeting in June.