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

Board of Management
Caitlin Cleveland
Kam Lake
Constituency Office
Email
Email
Website
https://mla-kamlake.ca
Phone
867-446-1154
Minister's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9141
Extension
11124

Statements in Debates

Question 340-19(2): Domestic Violence
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

I appreciate that Cabinet sat down and had this conversation and came up with a response. Thank you to them for that. What I would like to know from the Honourable Premier is if she would commit to creating a meaningful domestic and inter-partner violence prevention awareness campaign during the life of this Assembly.

Member's Statement on Congratulations to the Class of 2020
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've heard the class of 2020 referred to as the "Chosen Ones." We have all seen the cartoon that takes us month by month through 2020, including threats of World War III, murder hornets, and the very real and world-changing COVID-19. I'm not sure what it means to be a "Chosen One" in the wake of the craziness that has been 2020 so far, but I do know this: the graduates of 2020 have had to overcome some significant hurdles to complete their schooling during the upheaval of a pandemic.

Throughout history, there have always been events of significant change that have marked...

Question 326-19(2): Roles and Responsibilities of the Minister Responsible for Seniors
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

I'm wondering if the Minister has considered developing a plan for aging in the Northwest Territories that identifies things like policies, programs, and services that are currently in place to support seniors; that identifies gaps in those supports; and that also sets out a course of action or a plan for how to improve territorial supports of seniors going forward.

Committee Motion 30-19(2): Committee Report 2-19(2) – Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Long-Term Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT – Emergency Response Communications Protocol, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I 100 percent agree with this one. I believe that centralized clear, consistent communication throughout a state of emergency is one of our most important tool. If we expect people to know what we are asking of them and to be able to help us out to get to where we're trying to go, then they need to know what that is and where to find that information. So I think that having not only consistent information out there, but also the ability for the people of the Northwest Territories to know where to go to get that and to be able to anticipate where that's going...

Question 326-19(2): Roles and Responsibilities of the Minister Responsible for Seniors
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask some questions today of the Minister responsible for Seniors. My first question is: what tasks or responsibilities has the Minister responsible for Seniors been charged with to achieve during the life of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee MOTION 26-19(2): Committee Report 3-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Long-Term Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT – Education Supports, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories continue to offer the wage top-up as a permanent program to businesses, providing financial assistance to Northwest Territories workers aged 15 and over and earning less than $18 per hour. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee MOTION 25-19(2): Committee Report 3-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Long-Term Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT – Advancing Universal Child Care, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories advance universal childcare by maintaining the additional funding provided during the pandemic to support operational, cleaning costs, employee wage subsidies and food security issues anticipated to be more severe post-COVID. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 24-19(2): Committee Report 3-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Long-Term Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT – Policy Changes to Transitional Rent Supplement Program, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation retain the policy changes made to the Transitional Rent Supplement Program during the pandemic to continue to improve access and affordability within private market housing until such a time that the Canadian Housing Benefit is operational. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 22-19(2): Committee Report 3-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Long-Term Recovery: Recommendations to the GNWT – Permanent Policy Changes to Support Income Assistance Clients, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment make permanent the policy changes made to support clients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to continue to reduce the amount of verification information required to apply for Income Assistance to ensure clients are registered as quickly as possible and automatically assessed for both basic needs and enhanced benefits, to continue with the allowable income exemptions and to increase the annual income limit for unearned income per year on top of the money received from...

Question 331-19(2): Family Reunification During COVID-19 Pandemic
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Though I appreciate that, I know that a lot of GNWT employees were redeployed to help out Protect NWT, and I definitely appreciate that they volunteered for that. I'm wondering, given that there is such a desire for people to find out more information about this, if the Department of Health and Social Services is willing to put this information online so that residents can have easier access to how to go about this process. Thank you.