PetSmart Charities of Canada has given a grant to the NWT SPCA to establish a dedicated surgical suite within their existing shelter.The SPCA has been performing surgeries in a make-shift operating room in their kitchen, stated a news release from the national charity.
The $15,000 grant from PetSmart Charities "will improve sanitation protocols at the shelter, reducing the risk of infection," stated the news release.
"This grant will help the organization continue to support stray animals in the community."
– James O'Connor
Feds announce increase to labour market funding
Four million dollars will be added to the Labour Market Transfer Agreement which translates into $46 million over the next six-years.
In a public meeting at the Native Women's Association of the NWT on Wednesday MP Michael McLeod and Minister Caroline Cochrane celebrated the addition to the agreement and said it was a positive step to ensuring nearly 1,300 workers have the proper resources to succeed. Some of the agreement's focuses are on areas of pre-employment and training readiness, upskilling and academic upgrading.
Cochrane said this agreement is critical to the NWT, adding improving the labour market is a primary focus.
"These strengthened agreements will help employers to find and train the workers they need and assist individuals to access the skills upgrading programs and supports they need to secure employment and advance in the labour market," she said.
– Michael Hugall
Calls for wellness council nominees in NWT
The Department of Health and Social Services is calling for nominees to fill four spots on the Beaufort-Delta, Hay River and Yellowknife wellness council.
The wellness council is responsible for providing input which helps ensure communities have proper medical resources available to them, stated a news release from the press secretary.
The council helps inform policy and recently, has been responsible for providing insight which was instrumental in the building of a health centre in Fort Resolution.
The deadline to nominate individuals for the wellness council is Aug 10.
– Michael Hugall
Nominations for heritage circle open
If you know somebody who has gone above-and-beyond the norm in promoting arts, culture and heritage in their community or region, they could be a candidate for the minister's Culture and Heritage Circle.
Nominations are now open for the circle, organized by the territorial Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE).
Nominees must live in the Northwest Territories, but can include youth, elders, individuals or groups.
Nominations are open until Aug. 31 and can be done online or in person at local band offices and regional ECE service centres.
The culture and heritage circle was created in 2011.
– Erin Steele
More in jail waiting for trial than serving time
More than half of inmates in territorial jails haven't been tried or sentenced for a crime, new data from Statistics Canada shows.
Of the 13 provinces and territories, eight house more remanded inmates than sentence-serving inmates – and the NWT is one of them at the sixth spot.
Kim Schofield, assistant deputy minister with the GNWT Department of Justice, told Yellowknifer there's many factors at play in the rising numbers of inmates in remand custody.
"Jurisdictions across Canada have struggled to address the growth of the remand population, There is a national trend whereby remand numbers are increasing. This is also true in the NWT with approximately 50 per cent of persons in custody on remand currently," stated Schofield in an email.
She said remand numbers can spike after multiple arrests "on drugs busts or when people have breached their release conditions."
While the Criminal Code sets the conditions under which a defendant can be detained in remand, Schofield said it's up to the courts to decide whether a person is held on remand.
Attempts to ensure defendants appear in court and efforts to protect the safety of the public are considered in deciding whether someone should be granted bail, she said.
– Brendan Burke