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.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Given that the goal is always to increase the number of apprentices and given that also Housing is taking on a bigger role in ensuring that apprentices are present on all of their contracts for their builds. There's also been asks in the House for apprentices to be included on more government contracts and for Infrastructure to look at also building that into their contracts, I'm wondering why this line item isn't increasing given the increase in demand and the different avenues that Members are asking for the government to increase the number of apprentices...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, given that the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic is far from anywhere near done, are we expecting additional influxes in cash flow from the federal government for the purposes of that work? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)
Madam Chair, your committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 81319(2), 20232024 Main Estimates, Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 144)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So I'm wondering can a day home call themselves a notforprofit and in turn call themselves sorry, and in turn pay themselves a living wage, or where does that division happen? Is the division actually between the number of kids they have or the number of employees? How does ECE make that determination, or is it simply based on where they operate out of? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 144)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to roughly what that wage topup will look like from the perspective of ECE. Is that topup going to be roughly or can it even be worked into, you know, an average figure for people who provide early learning and child care across the territory? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 144)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm wondering if the Minister can let us know, under fees and payments there's a significant increase and I'm just wondering what fees and payments come out of there as far as early learning and child care. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 144)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my next question is in regards to the inclusive schooling line item. That line item seems to stay quite consistent year after year. And from what I'm hearing from parents, even in Kam Lake, there are a lot of concerns about, you know, where kids are finding themselves after COVID and a lot of kids who didn't receive assessments that they would have received before they aged out of the system, a lot more challenges with kids falling behind in school, and just a real need for more inclusive schooling supports. And so I'm wondering why that line item...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to confirm, the changes to allowing homebased businesses in public housing will follow and be included in the suite of policy changes to come out April 1st? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 144)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm sure that a lot of the changes that happen from here on in for a few years in regards to education will be largely driven by the Education Act amendments. And so I'm wondering where that funding is coming from; is that found in corporate management and not here? And I'm wondering if the Minister can provide clarity on that one. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Mr. Speaker, the Housing NWT prohibits homebased business from being in public housing. This works against four separate mandate items of the Government of the Northwest Territories, including one for increasing employment in small communities, which specifically says "amend the NWT Housing Corporation policies to allow appropriate homebased business opportunities within their units." It also goes against at least five Calls for Justice from the MMIWG.
