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.
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment
Statements in Debates
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 19)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Kam Lake residents seven-year-old Prudence Kalnay-Watson and her mother Sarah. Prudence is here on her day off and her first day of March Break to learn about consensus government. Thank you.
In regard to the $1 billion that the federal government has committed in order to support provinces and territories through expenses incurred by the coronavirus, would those funds come to the GNWT first, and then be distributed from the government to people on the ground?
It's been a long week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Out in Kam Lake, we have a lot of businesses that are asking a lot of questions about the coronavirus and how this may impact their businesses. I am wondering if the Minister of Finance can speak to whether or not the government plans to help support businesses that may feel hardship during this time. Thank you.
Would the Minister be willing to work with those hundreds of arts teachers he just mentioned across the territory and the person who fills the arts curriculum role within the department of education along with people from different regions in order to develop a made-in-the-North arts curriculum that includes both cultural resurgence and art therapy initiatives, as well?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought you said Frame Lake. Thank you for that. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. My first question today is: did Education, Culture and Employment recently hire an arts curriculum advisor? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I spoke about mental health triage for our children. Today, I would like to focus on how we can help grow resilient children. Adolescence is a challenging time. Teens' bodies are changing as their minds are expanding. In addition to school and home pressures, teens are expected to travel the rocky roads of self-discovery and self-expression as they prepare for life after high school.
We do have NGOs like the YWCA, Rainbow Coalition of the NWT, FOXY/Smash, Northern Youth, community governments, and local sports associations working hard with volunteers to offer...
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am wondering, for the sports activities that are located under other contributions, can the Minister advise what percentage of that funding goes to planning versus the actual activities and events? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 18)
Thank you very much. I'm wondering, if the amortization had impacted our budget by decreasing the Beaufort-Delta, why did it drive up the budget values for the other three regions, where the Sahtu basically stayed pretty consistent? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. You mentioned national accreditation, and I'm wondering if the department audits the calls that they have through 911 and, with the auditing, what specifically they look at. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am trying to think of how to reduce this to one question. I feel that I have acknowledged that the cost is high to work with private contractors, but when you have a high suicide rate like we do in the Northwest Territories, that cost is much higher. The risk of losing more youth to suicide in communities or in Yellowknife is, you can't put a number on that. I am thankful that the department is looking at it, but I feel that I disagree with the Minister here, that we do have wait times and having a child identify that they are suicidal and waiting three weeks to three...
