Caitlin Cleveland

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

Kam Lake
Constituency Office
Phone
Minister's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

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

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There still seem to be many questions on the minds of Northerners, including my constituents and the students of Aurora College. Would the Premier please clarify how she was able to dismiss the president of Aurora College without having a statutory authority to do so laid out in the Aurora College Act? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT currently has 2,800 housing units. How does the territorial government plan to ensure that housing is available for every NWT resident as a human right? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Specifically, with Indigenous governments.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome one of my constituents here today. Her name is Belinda Formaniuk. She is a grade nine student at Sir John, and she likes dogs, music, and reading, but I think she likes us more because this is her second time Paging for us. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I absolutely agree with Madam Premier's comment about how we need to leverage our partnerships, especially with people here in the Northwest Territories, and go to the federal government. How has our government worked with Indigenous governments to make sure that the NWT is getting its fair share of the federal government's very ambitious national housing strategy, which is offering $40 billion to Canadians for housing? Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Does the government have a timeline of when they would like to put together housing plans with each Indigenous government, and is there a desire to do one specifically and independently with each Indigenous government?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions today for the Minister responsible for Housing, but I see that she is not here, so I am going to redirect towards the Premier, if I can, please. What I would like to ask today, Mr. Speaker, is: how has this government engaged with Indigenous governments in partnerships to create housing in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the success of healthy, inclusive, creative communities starts with housing as a human right. Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights assures everyone the right to housing and a dignified standard of living. Article 23 of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples invokes self-determination in health, economic and social sufficiency, and housing.

Canada's first-ever 2018 National Housing Strategy puts $40 billion behind a human rights and distinctions-based approach to housing. Housing is a key pillar to the United Nations' sustainable...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

My next question for the Premier would be: given yesterday's events around Aurora College staffing, how does this government intend to do a better job with consistent communication, public-facing communication?

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 2)

Mr. Speaker, trust is a fragile and powerful thing. What can take decades to build can be broken in one action.

Surveys show that the professions trusted most by Canadians are scientists, nurses, doctors, and teachers, while politicians, unfortunately, are found at the bottom of the list. Today, only 13 percent of Canadians trust politicians. This is important because we know that, in order to truly work together, all Northerners need to trust each other.

I recently read an article which implied that the public's lack of trust in politicians is based on the sense that an "old boys' club" is...