North of 60 Blog

Decisions made by government officials about any number of things, can in many cases be challenged on judicial review. One recent case out of the Federal Court of Appeal reminds us – against a truly Northern backdrop – that administrative decisions must be procedurally fair and substantively reasonable (i.e. based on common sense). When they are not, they risk being ...

Why does it matter?

Contractors and subcontractors – also known as lienholders in the context of this post – may run into difficulties with obtaining prompt payment during the course of a construction project, whether it is in completing renovations to a home residence or providing construction services to a mine. In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, parties ...

On September 21st, 2020, the Nunavut Legislative Assembly met for the first time since March 12^th. Originally scheduled to sit on May 26^th, 2020, the Assembly decided to cancel that sitting as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. In September, the Nunavut Assembly welcomed two new members elected in by-elections over the summer (Calvin Pedersen for Kugluktuk and Craig ...

The governments of each of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut have implemented restrictions on who can enter their respective territories and what manner of self-isolation procedures those who are permitted entry must follow upon their arrival.

As these COVID-related travel restrictions remain in place, many business may find themselves, their contractors ...

The Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly convened May 26^th to June 12^th, 2020, to continue the second session of the 19^th Assembly, which was unexpectedly cut short in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary purpose was to pass the 2020-21 budget, however, the Assembly did consider the following bills:

Bill 6-19(2) – An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly ...

A group of businesspeople in Yukon has challenged the constitutionality of various measures taken by the Yukon government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Yukon has mostly closed its borders except to residents and essential workers, and has made a number of orders affecting daily life and the economy.

The petition, filed ...

On April 21, 2020, a single judge of the Nunavut Court of Appeal released its decision in R. v Irngaut (2020 NUCA 04), a saga about an allegedly illegal caribou harvest. The Court held that the Government of Nunavut, the party who initiated the appeal, does not have standing to pursue the appeal.

The Court held that, absent legislative amendments to the Summary Conviction ...

Covid-19 has brought massive disruption to life across the North. The unprecedented changes to daily life pose many difficult questions for local governments about their role in responding to the pandemic. Although much of the response is being led at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels, particularly through the orders and advice of the Chief Public Health ...

NWT Legislative Beat

The first session of the 19^th Legislative Assembly convened on October 25, 2019. The 19^th Assembly is a historic Assembly, with the NWT having gone from having the lowest percentage of elected female MLAs to the highest in the country at 48% with the general election of October 1, 2019. Given that most new assemblies take some time to develop legislative ...

What Types of Businesses Can Reopen?

In the Northwest Territories, the Chief Public Health Officer has ordered that certain types of businesses shall close: recreational facilities (including but not limited to arenas, pools, and gymnasiums), community centres and youth centres, bottle depots, gyms and fitness centres, museums and art galleries, and businesses where ...