Congratulations to Eleanor Young, recipient of the 2025 Evelyn Krutko Mighty Warrior Award.

Eleanor has spent decades serving communities across the NWT with strength, resilience, and heart. From her early days in regional land use planning in the Beaufort Delta, to her leadership as SAO in Ulukhaktok, and her more recent roles as Deputy Minister and President & CEO of Housing NWT, Eleanor’s work has consistently centered the needs of people and communities.

A tireless champion for community development, Eleanor brought deep knowledge and commitment to every role she held—always mindful of how her decisions would impact the lives of Northerners.

As she steps into retirement, we honour a remarkable career marked by determination, integrity, and a powerful legacy of service. Thank you, Eleanor, for everything you’ve done for the NWT and the NWTAC.

CHECK OUT THE NWTAC'S WILDFIRE RESOURCES TOOLKIT!

The NWTAC'S Wildfire Resources Toolkit offers a wide range of materials including Fire Smart Presentations, Fire Smart Resources, Fire Smart Radio Scripts, Fire Smart Social Media Messages and Fire Smart Videos including: Building and Putting Out Campfires Safely, Doing Your Part to Prevent Wildfires, Fire's Role in NWT Forests, and How Wildfire Management Decisions Are Made. There are also two French language videos: Le rôle des feux de forêt en écologie forestière en basse résolution, and Notre fonctionnement

Wildfire Resources Toolkit

Fall-Winter webinar series is being hosted by the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE) project at the University of Victoria. The CAPE project is a well-established Canada-wide resource for supporting and developing public health-oriented alcohol policy. It has an existing 600+ member community of practice that has mostly focused on provincial/territorial and federal level policy to date. We are offering this special webinar series to increase connections with and learn from those working in municipal, local government and/or community-level contexts.

These webinars will offer people involved in municipal and local government across Canada an opportunity to:

• hear about examples of local-level policies and strategies that have been effective at balancing public-health concerns with community needs
• discuss legal frameworks for alcohol policies, latest research evidence, and resources
• share their own experiences and network with others working on this issue; and
• help shape future research in this area

Click here for more information.

The Association of Yukon Communities is running a project to provide asset management training and resources for communities in Canada’s North. As part of this project, we’re facilitating a new webinar series to give leading communities a platform to share their stories with their peers.

For our second webinar, we’re delighted to welcome Sara Brown, CEO of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities (NWTAC), to share resources NWTAC have developed to support communities with asset management.

The webinar is scheduled for July 24, 2025 at 1 pm PT.

The discussion will include: 

• Background and context for Asset Management in Canada’s North

• Overview of NWTAC Asset Management Resources 

• Overview of climate adaptation resources 

• Deep dive into specific resources

Click here for more information and to register.

Looking for statistics about rural Canada? 

Take a minute to watch this video to learn what’s available. 

Statistics Canada delivers timely rural and small town data that are relevant to your area, so that you can get the facts on demographics, housing, business, trade and proximity to services.

Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program North is designed to build capacity for climate change and health adaptation by funding community-designed and driven projects.

Eligible Applicants:

• First Nations and Inuit communities
• First Nations and Inuit organizations, including:
• First Nations associations
• Band Councils
• Tribal Councils
• Self-governing First Nations and Inuit governments

Non-governmental organizations and voluntary associations and organizations, including non-Indigenous associations and organizations, can be eligible if working in partnership with a First Nations or Inuit community

Eligible Projects

The program supports projects that focus on the health impacts of climate change by helping communities:

• Develop and implement health-related adaptation or action plans.
• Identify vulnerabilities in the health system and develop plans to address them.
• Develop and share knowledge-building and communication materials.
• Support adaptation decision-making at the local, regional and national levels.

Funding: Exact amount not disclosed. For more information, contact christa@nwtac.com. 

Deadline: Ongoing. 

Click here for more information and to apply.

Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program provides project funding and guidance to build Northern adaptation capacity and to implement adaptation measures increasing the climate resilience of existing community infrastructure, in support of self-determined priorities.

Eligible Applicants:

• Indigenous and northern communities in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut and Eeyou Istchee
• Territorial and regional governments
• Indigenous and Northern organizations
• Academic organizations such as universities and colleges
• Non-governmental organizations

Eligible Projects:

The program provides support to Northern communities and organizations to help them adapt to climate change impacts by funding the following types of projects:

• Vulnerability and risk assessment of climate change impacts
• Development of hazard maps and adaptation plans
• Development of adaptation options
• Implementation of non-structural and structural adaptation measures

Funding is based on project scope and scale. Historical grants have been between $20,000 and $900,000.

Deadline: Ongoing.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Following the Resilient Together: Strengthening NWT Communities Gathering, United Way NWT is pleased to offer a new funding opportunity for participating organizations to develop Service Continuity Plans—concrete, actionable plans to help maintain essential services during future emergencies and disasters.

During the Strengthening NWT Communities Gathering, we heard from participating organizations about the challenges incurred in responding to emergencies on short notice, with limited resources and unclear protocols. This funding is designed to help you build the blueprint you need to be ready next time.

What’s Available:

• Grants of up to $25,000
• Deadline to apply: August 15, 2025
• Project timeline: September 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026

How to Apply: You must submit a completed application form (link below) that includes a budget outlining how funds will be used and a project proposal for developing your service continuity plan.

• Applications due: August 15, 2025
• Decisions will be shared by the end of August.

To be eligible to apply, your organization must:

• Be a registered non-profit, charity, or Indigenous government.
• Provide direct community services within the NWT.
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Funding priority will be to those organizations that attended the "Resilient Together" Conference on April 24-27, 2025, however we welcome all organizations to submit an application. 

Click here for more information.

The Healthy Choices Fund (HCF) provides financial support for health promotion and prevention activities within the Northwest Territories. It aims to address risk factors associated with chronic and communicable diseases, as well as injury prevention.

Eligible Applicants: The Healthy Choices Fund is available to Indigenous governments in the NWT, community governing authorities, and non-government not-for-profit organizations.

Eligible Projects: Eligible projects may include new initiatives or enhancements of existing projects. Projects should meet the following criteria:

• The applicant and project must be located in the Northwest Territories.
• Provide activities, programs, and services meeting community or regional needs.
• Propose innovative approaches to existing activities, programs, or services.
• Demonstrate partnerships and collaboration to promote healthy choices.

Funding:

• Total available funds: $418,000 annually.
• Minimum per project per year: $5,000.
• Maximum per project per year: $20,000.

Deadline: Opens April 1, 2025, applications ongoing.

Click here for more information and to apply.

The Take a Family on the Land Program is designed to offset the costs associated with on-the-land activities, so more NWT residents can experience them, as families. 

Eligible Applicants: Any NWT Indigenous government or organization, community/municipal government or not-for-profit association can apply for funding to support their community/clients, provided they are eligible to enter into a contribution agreement from the GNWT.

Eligible Projects: Families will participate in outdoor learning experiences that encompass northern perspectives, like camping, boating, fishing and hunting, storytelling, wood cutting and sharing traditional knowledge. The program is intended for families who may not have other resources to support land-based activities.

Funding: Organizations can apply for up to $10,000 (including administration fee).

Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Adaptation in Action: Implementation Projects funding is intended for communities who are already aware of their climate risks and know which projects will help them make the greatest strides in improving their climate resilience.

Eligible Applicants

• Canadian municipal governments (e.g., towns, cities, regions, districts, and local boards)
• Municipal partners, which include: 
• Municipally owned corporations
• Regional, provincial or territorial organizations delivering municipal services
• Non-governmental organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Research institutes (e.g., universities)
• Indigenous communities

Eligible Projects

To qualify for funding, proposed activities must support eligible applicants to implement measures that reduce impacts from climate-related events and hazards.

• A new or subsequent phase of a climate adaptation project
• Capable of completion within three years 
• Eligible for required approvals, authorizations and permits
• Developed and constructed to ensure that hazard sensitivity is not increased, is not transferred to any parties or to the environment, and is not maladapted 
• Aligned with a priority climate hazard identified in your community’s climate risk assessment or aligned with an action item in your community’s climate adaptation plan.
• A feasibility study or equivalent assessment that outlines objectives, costs, technical feasibility and expected outcomes
• For projects installing new infrastructure: Able to demonstrate resilience to flooding, particularly if infrastructure is in or near a 100-year floodplain. Designs must include mitigation measures to avoid flood-related damage.

Funding: $1,000,000 Grant for 60%* of eligible costs; Up to a maximum of $1 million

Deadline: Round 1 - August 19, 2025.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Addressing the ongoing legacy of residential schools remains an urgent priority for the Government of Canada. This includes supporting Indigenous communities, organizations and families as they seek to research, locate, and document burial sites associated with former residential schools, as well as to memorialize deaths of children and return children's remains home.

Eligible Applicants:

• Indigenous governments, band councils or tribal councils, or its delegated authorities
• An Indigenous not-for-profit organization or group
• Organizations, including Survivor groups, demonstrating a close working partnership with and directed by Indigenous-governed organizations

Eligible Projects:

For initiatives to be eligible under the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support funding stream, they must be related to one or more of the 140 schools included in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) or one of the five (5) schools in the Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (Anderson).

Eligible activities include efforts to: engage, coordinate, develop and provide capacity support for initiatives; conduct research and knowledge gathering; memorialize and commemorate burial sites, unmarked graves and Survivors; and fieldwork investigation, identification and repatriation of remains.

Funding: Up to $3 million in contribution annually by recipient. 

Deadline: September 15, 2025.

Click here for more information.

Community Wildfire Resilience Contributions provide investments and build partnerships across the whole-of-society to advance FireSmart projects across the NWT.

Investments support organizations in delivering on projects which will address the seven FireSmart disciplines in the NWT.

Eligible Applicants:

• Community governments
• Indigenous governments
• Indigenous organizations
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Territorial and federal government and agencies
• Neighbourhood associations with sponsorship and/or partnership from any of the above organization(s).
• In these scenarios, the recipient of funds must be an organization established under the laws of the NWT, though the neighbourhood association may be an important partner.

Eligible Projects:

Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the project will advance the seven FireSmart disciplines as defined by FireSmart Canada.

• Interagency cooperation
• Public education
• Cross-training
• Vegetation management
• Emergency planning
• Legislation
• Development
• Funding

Maximum of $300,000 per applicant in a single fiscal year. 

Deadline: Ongoing. 

Click here for more information and to apply.

The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives (NICI) Fund supports food and agriculture businesses, as well as other public and private organizations. Investments from NICI support new and existing food initiatives aimed at strengthening and diversifying economic activity in the North. Projects that address food security in Indigenous communities or with other vulnerable people will be given priority.

Eligible Applicants:

NICI supports food and agriculture-related businesses, as well as other public or private organizations, with an emphasis on ensuring fair access to funding for Inuit Nunangat, which includes the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (northern Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador).

NICI is open to a wide-variety of organizations, including not-for-profit groups, academic institutions, industry associations, local or Indigenous governments, and for-profit businesses. It is also open to provincial and territorial governments.

Eligible Projects:

Eligible activities should focus on ideas that strengthen northern food systems, improve local food production, reduce barriers to food access, provide skills training and capacity building for local and Indigenous food producers, or that focus on innovation.

Funding:

In the territories, the NICI Fund has a budget of $9 million in financial assistance to support a variety of projects through the following streams: 

1. Support to business and entrepreneurs
2. Support to Northern food systems and ecosystems
3. Support for Northern food innovation

Deadline: Ongoing.

Click here for more information and to apply.