Government & Legislature
Government of Nunavut programs, decisions and Legislative Assembly work.
Nunavut francophone school board votes to seek full control of its operations
The Commission scolaire francophone du Nunavut has unanimously authorized its leaders to negotiate with the Government of Nunavut for full management autonomy, including governance, human resources and financial management. The May 20 resolution does not itself transfer any powers, set a completion date or approve funding. Source↗
Nunavut land-use plan rejected as drafted, leaving territory-wide rules unresolved
Canada, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated decided on July 3 not to accept the 2023 Recommended Nunavut Land Use Plan as drafted. The joint decision leaves Nunavut without an approved territory-wide land-use plan while the parties and Nunavut Planning Commission continue work. Source↗
Nunavut keeps residential property-tax rate unchanged outside Iqaluit, raises rates for commercial and resource properties
Nunavut’s 2026 residential property-tax rate outside Iqaluit remains 6.15 mills, but the rate for commercial and industrial properties rises to 6.77 mills. The new rates took effect Sept. 3, and the Finance Department says tax notices will be sent in late September with payment due 60 days after the notice date. Source↗
Nunavut minimum wage is now $20.17 an hour
Nunavut’s minimum wage has been $20.17 an hour since Sept. 1, 2026. The territory’s Labour Standards office says employees must receive at least that rate for all hours worked, with no age restriction.
Nunavut curriculum rollout expands to Grades 2 and 3; language-model choices still underway in Iqaluit and other communities
Nunavut’s made-in-Nunavut curriculum is being implemented in Grades 2 and 3 during the 2026–27 school year, joining Kindergarten and Grade 1. The Government of Nunavut says teacher training took place in March, but its current community list still marks bilingual education-model selection as ongoing in Iqaluit and 12 other communities. Source↗
Bill C-39 could let Ottawa end some Nunavut local strikes
Bill C-39 would let the federal labour minister seek an order ending a lawful strike or lockout in the national interest. The proposal could reach some Nunavut hamlet, municipal and housing workers, but its local scope and the national-interest threshold remain uncertain.
Nunavut and NTI pitch four major projects to investors, but no funding deals announced
The Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated used a Toronto investment event to promote four Inuit-led infrastructure priorities: a deep-sea port at Qikiqtarjuaq, the Grays Bay Road and Port, the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link and the Iqaluit hydro project. The September 14 event was a pitch to investors, not an announcement of project funding, approvals or construction starts. Source↗
Sakku’s $2.5M federal solar project in Rankin Inlet remains active through March 2027
Sakku Investments Corporation received a $2.5-million federal contribution for a Rankin Inlet rooftop-solar and battery demonstration project. The agreement is active until March 31, 2027, but public records do not give a construction schedule, system size or expected diesel savings. Source↗
Canada creates northern firearms officer role for Nunavut, Yukon and N.W.T.
Canada has created a dedicated Chief Firearms Officer role for Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. An interim officer from Yukon will serve all three territories until a permanent officer is appointed through an open process. The change is meant to improve firearms licensing, safety-course delivery and outreach, but it does not announce new firearms rules or local course dates. Source↗
Nunavut seeks 10 nominees for Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit advisory committee
Nunavut’s Department of Culture and Heritage is seeking nominations for 10 members of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, an Elders advisory committee that provides advice on government policies, programs and service delivery. Members would be appointed for three-year terms and are expected to meet at least three times a year. The notice does not give a nomination deadline. Source↗
Nunavut’s audited 2024–25 accounts show $196.9M surplus as health spending ran $198.5M over budget
The Government of Nunavut’s audited public accounts for the year ended March 31, 2025 show a $196.9-million consolidated surplus, far above the $43.4-million surplus in its original budget. The result included higher-than-expected revenue, including $60.9 million in tobacco-settlement proceeds, while total spending was $7.7 million above budget. Health spending was $198.5 million over budget, with Family Services and Housing also over their planned amounts. Source↗
Nunavut approved $273.9M in carryover authority for capital projects
Nunavut’s Legislative Assembly approved $273.909 million in additional 2026–27 capital spending authority on June 11, mainly to carry forward funding for projects that had been approved in earlier years but were not yet spent. The authority covers 140 projects, including water systems, schools, health facilities, airports and the Kivalliq–Baffin fibre connection. It is approved funding authority, not proof that every project is underway or complete. Source↗
Auditor General lists Nunavut drinking-water management audit for 2027
The Office of the Auditor General of Canada now lists a planned audit of Nunavut’s drinking-water management, with publication anticipated in 2027. The audit is not yet a finding about water quality or government performance: its scope, method and timetable have not been made public. Source↗
Nunavut Education Department faces questions after senior managers leave posts
Several senior Education Department leadership positions became vacant over the summer, according to the Nunavut Teachers’ Association. The department would not confirm individual staffing changes, but says critical functions are being maintained. Current Government of Nunavut job postings also list executive director and superintendent positions in school operations. Source↗ Source↗
Nunavut Marine Council’s five-year plan names shipping and development as priorities, but specific actions are still pending
The Nunavut Marine Council’s 2026–2031 strategic plan puts marine conservation and planning, shipping and development impacts, community well-being and food sovereignty among its focus areas. It is a policy and coordination plan, not a new shipping rule, project approval or funding program. The Council says a working group will still prepare annual work plans with responsibilities and timelines. Source↗
Nunavut-wide land-use plan rejected, with revisions still ahead
Canada, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated jointly decided on July 3 not to accept the 2023 Recommended Nunavut Land Use Plan as drafted. The decision means Nunavut still does not have a territory-wide plan in force; the three parties say further work with the Nunavut Planning Commission is needed before a final plan can move ahead. Source↗
Nunavut francophone school board votes to pursue full control over staffing, finances and governance
The Commission scolaire francophone du Nunavut unanimously adopted a May 20 resolution committing the board to negotiate a transition to full management autonomy. The resolution does not transfer any powers now: it calls for a costed transition plan, Government of Nunavut funding, possible legislative changes and a final agreement for board approval. Source↗
Nunavut minimum wage is now $20.17 an hour
Nunavut’s minimum wage rose to $20.17 an hour on Sept. 1, 2026. The territory says employees must receive at least that rate for every hour worked, regardless of age. The annual increase affects workers and employers across Nunavut. Source↗
Aqqusariaq recovery centre enters final phase, but opening date and intake rules remain unknown
Nunavut says Aqqusariaq, a 24-bed addictions and trauma recovery centre in Iqaluit, is nearing substantial construction completion. The Government of Nunavut is still finalizing an operating funding agreement with an Inuit-led not-for-profit established by Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and has not announced an opening date, referral or intake process, staffing plan, or finalized agreement. Source↗
Nunavut sets 2026 property-tax rates outside Iqaluit; notices to follow late September
Nunavut has set 2026 property-tax mill rates for properties outside Iqaluit. Residential properties are set at 6.15 mills, while commercial and industrial properties fall under a 6.77-mill rate. The government says tax notices will be sent in late September and payment will be due 60 days after the notice date. Source↗
Federal government creates northern firearms officer role for Nunavut, Yukon and N.W.T.
The federal government announced Sept. 17 that a dedicated Chief Firearms Officer will take responsibility for firearms services in Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. An interim officer from Yukon will serve all three territories while the government runs an open process to appoint a permanent officer. The announcement does not identify the interim officer, office locations, staffing levels, service-contact changes or a date for the permanent appointment. Source↗
Nunavut raises foster-care daily rates by 45 per cent, with retroactive payment due Sept. 25
Nunavut foster parents, including kinship-care providers, will receive daily rates 45 per cent higher effective April 1, 2026. The Department of Family Services says it will issue a lump-sum payment on Sept. 25 for the April-to-August increase. New rates range from $84.10 to $94.25 a day per child, depending on the community. Source↗
Nunavut extends Angirraq group-home services through 2026–27, with review planned
Nunavut’s Department of Family Services says it has extended its arrangement with Angirraq Corporation through the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year, keeping group-home and support services in place for children and youth in care. The department and company will also conduct a joint review of program delivery and financial arrangements. Source↗
Nunavut and NTI seek major Arctic infrastructure investment, but no projects are approved
The Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated used a Sept. 14 Toronto investment event to call for public and private backing for major Arctic infrastructure. The joint release identifies clean energy, telecommunications, transportation and marine infrastructure as priorities, but it does not announce funding, project approvals, construction dates or agreements with investors. Source↗
Manitoba-Nunavut agreement adds coordination, not approval, for Kivalliq power link
Nunavut and Manitoba have renewed their cooperation framework, but the agreement does not fund or approve the proposed Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link. Major questions about power supply, financing, land-use approval, caribou effects and community benefits remain open.
Nunavut court orders legal-aid board to reconsider Iqaluit lawyer’s panel application
The Nunavut Court of Justice found the Legal Services Board of Nunavut breached procedural fairness when it refused Alison Crowe’s application to return to its criminal legal-aid panel. The court did not order her reinstatement or award damages. Instead, it sent the matter back to the board for a new decision that considers her response to its concerns.
Iqaluit staff seek annual Survivors’ Flag raising on Sept. 30
Iqaluit’s Governance and Priorities Committee of the Whole will consider a staff recommendation Tuesday to add the Survivors’ Flag to the City’s annual flag calendar for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The City has raised the flag each Sept. 30 since 2021, but the practice is now approved year by year at the mayor’s discretion. Source↗
Nunavut’s $2.47B operating budget is approved for 2026–27, not just proposed
Nunavut’s Legislative Assembly gave assent on June 11 to the law authorizing $2.4702 billion in Government of Nunavut operating and maintenance spending for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. The budget was first presented in May as proposed Main Estimates, but it is now approved spending authority. The estimates include $663.2 million for Health, $309.9 million for Education, $296.0 million for the Nunavut Housing Corporation and $182.8 million for Justice. Source↗ Source↗
Ahead of Nunavut oversight hearings, child advocate report shows unresolved gaps in child and youth services
Nunavut’s Representative for Children and Youth says departments agreed to all 16 recommendations in its 2024–25 annual report, including calls for more child-care spaces, better school attendance data, a government-wide child-abuse strategy and housing security. But the report also records missed follow-up on Family Services recommendations and continuing concerns about child-protection investigations, mental-health care and staffing. The Legislative Assembly’s oversight committee is scheduled to examine the Representative’s annual reports in televised hearings beginning Sept. 23. Source↗ Source↗
Meliadine mine water-licence amendment open for public comment until Oct. 6
The Nunavut Water Board says Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. has filed an application to amend the Type A water licence for its Meliadine mine near Rankin Inlet. Interested people have until Oct. 6, 2026, to make representations. The notice confirms a live regulatory application, not an approval of any change. Source↗
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