Member Kam Lake

Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly. 

In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics. 

Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families. 

Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow. 

Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.

Kam Lake Electoral District

Committees

Caitlin Cleveland
Kam Lake
Minister's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Extension
11124
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 54)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no updates today. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 54)

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 54)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certainly always happy to have conversations, always happy to pass along the messages from the House, and certainly very interested in learning what the future of literacy programming looks like in the territory and working very hard on that. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I have asked for further details from the federal minister to better understand exactly who he would be speaking about and then also the potential demands on our system for -- so, for example, our healthcare system. And then, in addition, have wanted to better understand what support services the federal government would be open to offering the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I couldn't comment as to what those facilities will become used for down the road, and so certainly if it's a situation where an Indigenous government chooses to have a facility like that, then that would certainly be an option depending on what that choice down the road is. My understanding through the presentation from Aurora College president and the chair is that in order to support students across the Northwest Territories through online learning that they would have wraparound supports not only for student life but also for student learning...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the college identified a total of $8.29 million that they would, first of all, have for their staff retention policy; second, the delivery of their online programming; and then third, further work to be done on reinstating their bachelor of education and social work programming that we've heard a lot about in this House as well. And so I would have to assume that maintaining the CLCs would continue to cost upwards of the $7 million figure. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, even though the NWT has the privilege of sitting as the chair, I have to say that Ministers from all jurisdictions showed up to the table in Toronto ready to do good work on behalf of Canadians, on behalf of the residents that we individually and then collectively serve. And so there wasn't a need to encourage one another to go farther. It was a very exciting table where people were literally stepping out of the meeting room in order to call their Premiers and get expansions to their negotiating mandates, and there were commitments made on the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So I have asked for those further clarifying details from the federal government myself and then have also had a sit-down meeting with MP McLeod to also indicate the additional information that I'm looking for, and he agreed to take that back to his -- to the federal Minister as well. So we're both working together to try and flesh out this information. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through my conversations with the federal government, the federal minister did offer to the Northwest Territories an opportunity to potentially increase our allotment for the Northwest Territories nominee program, and the conversation there revolves around the Northwest Territories welcoming asylum seekers to the territory. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is absolutely right. These are still assets of the GNWT, the ones that are owned by the GNWT. The Department of Infrastructure does have asset policies so that if there is a need to pass the facilities on to another owner, there is a policy for that. And infrastructure and ECE will be working together on this work, and we have had some phone calls already from Indigenous governments or NGOs that are wanting to have a role to play in the future of the CLCs and have identified that. Thank you.