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
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, the Yukon was able to move their nominee program up to 430 allocations in previous years. This year, because they were cut by 50 percent, they went down to 215. So that said, they are still starting from a place that was greater than our allocation but not as high as the Member indicated.
It's worth noting, Madam Chair, that different territories are in different positions as far as nominee programs are concerned. Right now, Nunavut does not have a nominee program. That being said, I hear the Member, and I'm certainly always willing to work pan...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, what I think is really important to capture here is that there's over $5 million a year that the GNWT receives from the federal government specifically for Indigenous languages, and that funding is funneled straight to Indigenous governments, and Indigenous governments determine what their programs -- their community-based programs will do and certainly have the support of ECE for that.
I absolutely agree with the Member that revitalization of Indigenous languages across the territory is incredibly important and is one that we need to take...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
The Member is correct. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Certainly, Madam Chair, I hear a lot about this program from my own constituents who I represent, and then in regards to advocacy with stakeholders that we had the opportunity to hear from and the opportunity to work with at the department in relation to this program here, there was the chamber of Yellowknife and the chamber of the Northwest Territories, our Chamber of Commerce Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce, and also CDETNO, and then in addition to that individual business owners as well.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
I'm wondering if the Minister could be -- pardon me, if the Member can be more specific or direct about what they would like to get to here. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, to my left, I have James Fulford who is the deputy minister of education, culture and employment. And on my left, I have the assistant deputy minister of labour and income support who is Nicole Beauchamp.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. No, it does not exist in policy. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, that was part of our fiscal sustainability reductions. And so what we were able to do is -- and that was last year's reductions that were already done in the previous main estimates. But what we were able to do was look at programs that were historically undersubscribed and trim off the top of them. But we continue to make investments into, for example, our mentorship apprenticeship program that saw 37 pairs this year. We continue to make investments, for example, in our education instructor -- languages instructor program that is in schools...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much. It comes out of Finance.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as long as there's no issue with confidentiality in regards to the federal letter, then I'm certainly happy to provide it but I would certainly need to respect the federal government as well. Thank you.
