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.
Thanks very much, Madam Chair. I am with my colleague from Yellowknife North: this is a very exciting page. Your comments about how ITI considers themselves allies to northern entrepreneurs and business community was not lost on me. Without further ado, the Great Northern Arts Festival was unfortunately, like many of our festivals, cancelled this year. I'm wondering, with the line item of $25,000 that was associated with that, what is ITI's plan for that money now? Thank you.
That makes me very happy to hear because our public servants are definitely in the driver's seat when it comes to making sure that northern procurement stays in the North and benefits northern workers. Would the Minister be willing to commit to quality-based procurement rather than lowest-bid rule while the department works to modernize its procurement policies to ensure that benefit retention to northern businesses and northern workers exists?
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My final question for the Minister today is just: how has COVID affected your five-year tourism plan? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Infrastructure. My first question would be to ask the Minister if she'd read the report from the standing committee of the 18th Assembly, but we have discussed it. I know she has read it. What I would love to know is what her position is on the recommendations contained in the report. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I appreciate that. I forwarded that email to a few of my constituents and just wanted to make sure that your comments to the Member for Yellowknife North were in line with that. My next question is in regards to domestic tourism. This year, within the Northwest Territories, we would love for all of our residents to be able to stay in the Northwest Territories and, to the best of people's ability, be able to really explore their own backyards. Has the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment looked into helping local tourism companies that are able to...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. This might be a way for us to be able to distinguish between northern and southern operators and being able to potentially give our northern operators a little bit of an arm up here on their southern counterparts. One of the rumours that I have heard in my constituency is that southern tour operators qualify for ITI funding for business development. I would like to know if this is accurate. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
No, that's fair. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. In that case, I will wait and we'll continue this conversation later. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thanks very much, Madam Chair. I am just curious; if somebody decides that they want to move to the Northwest Territories and start a business, is there any kind of rule that stipulates what kind of business they can come here to start? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am definitely interested to see that, and I am definitely interested to work with the Minister on that, because I think, if we're going to put this kind of money out into the business community of the Northwest Territories, then it would be great for it to stick around and the people of the Northwest Territories to see the benefit of it.
Another concern that I have had coming out of the business community, especially right now within COVID, is that people are filling out a lot of applications right now for business supports. Some of them are to the federal...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 26)
Thank you, Madam Chair. That makes me very happy to hear because I feel like, if there is anybody who can figure out how adapt, it would be an artist.
My next question is in regard to Northern Food Development Program, like my colleague discussed, that food security is a priority of this Assembly. Food security has also been identified as something that is going to be top of mind throughout our COVID recovery. One of the things that we have seen in many communities throughout the North, Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik especially, is there are people who have really mastered creating businesses...
