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 140)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 57, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2022, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 20th, 2022, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.
On February 13th, 2023, the Standing Committee on Social Development held a public hearing with the Minister of Justice and completed its clausebyclause review of the bill. Individual Members may have additional comments or questions at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is the Northwest Territories and we do things a little different up here. The way we live, work, and govern together is different than southern Canada. It's a product of a different history.
Madam Speaker, the North continues to be a place of unrivalled opportunity. We're open for business, adventure, and life. We want to grow our population and our economy. During the budget address, the Minister of Finance stated the primary economic driver for the NWT economy will be government investment. I would agree that this is the case, at least for the...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
That is excellent news, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for that. So what I would like to know is if the review that's currently taking place with SEED, if that will include a review of the market disruption clause and also any kind of potential down the road for a residency postgrant requirement. So people who are getting SEED aren't turning around as soon as they get it and leaving the territory with that investment in their business, that they're actually staying and doing that business development here in the territory. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you Mr. Chair, I just want to repeat I know something that the Minister has heard me say before, but I think it's really important to repeat, and that is that there are existing federallyaccredited fish plants in the Northwest Territories already. And I just want to essentially hear a commitment from the Minister to ensure that when they're going through these talks at federal tables that that is recalled and advocated for so that we're not inadvertently pushing out people in the business sector who have had a tremendous amount of investment into this sector already. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I’m going to pick up where MLA Nokleby left off which was in agriculture there.
And just in terms of the grants that are available to different people involved in agriculture, what I have heard is that the reporting requirements or expectations are a little bit too onerous for the value of the grant. And so I just wanted to kind of leave that there. I do understand from the agrifood association that that is something that they have been following up with the GNWT on, and so I think it's worth noting just so that we can ensure that these dollars get out...
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 56, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Act.
Bill 56 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 20th, 2022 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.
On October 16th, 2022, the standing committee held a public hearing and a clausebyclause review of the bill with the Minister responsible for the Housing Northwest Territories.
Madam Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 56, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Housing...
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, too many Northerners are falling through the cracks of the government's siloed approach to service delivery at the cost of residents' mental health, ability to survive and thrive, and the GNWT's bottom line. The government needs to provide wraparound clientfocused supports that meet residents where they are at. Our success relies on government departments working together. We hear over and over again that the answer is integrated service delivery. But we also hear from the GNWT that we are years away from actually implementing integrated service...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I will say that from my office, this is probably one of the programs that gets recommended the most to constituents who are especially just really being hit hard by inflationary increases that we're feeling in the territory, and so it's definitely a program that is much used and much appreciated by the people of the Northwest Territories, and I definitely recommend that the government continues to support this, especially right now with the economic landscape across the country.
My next question is in regards to some of the programs that are offered by...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 139)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my first question is in regards to the CanadaNWT housing benefit program. I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to whether or not this program continues to be fully subscribed and also what the total amount is with the GNWT and federal contribution combined? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this time last year when I asked the Minister to create an immigration advisory council, the Minister informed me that, quote, "ECE and ITI are proactively reaching out to businesses and people who are familiar with the nominee program to find out what we can do to improve the program."
So I'm wondering, Madam Speaker, since there is no intent to create a strategy in the life of this Assembly, where I can find that information that the Minister has been collecting with his department over the last year? Thank you.
