Fort Resolution administrator says hamlet deficit has been cut

The public administrator appointed to help Fort Resolution out of a financial hole says the hamlet’s debt has been reduced by 11 percent in the past year.

In a Wednesday Facebook post, the hamlet – now run by administrator Tom Beaulieu – said its debt is down from $1.79 million in 2022-23 to $1.58 million in 2023-24.

A separate shortfall in the hamlet’s capital accounts is also down slightly and sits at around $600,000.

The hamlet says it expects its 2024-25 audited financials to show a further significant reduction, though those figures are not yet final.

“The hamlet has implemented a series of strategic fiscal measures and they have proven effective in reducing the deficit,” the community stated.

Fort Resolution was placed into public administration by the territorial government in June 2023 over what the GNWT said were “financial and operational challenges.”

Local elected officials – who were removed from office through the administrator’s appointment – disputed that assertion and said they had needed more territorial government support.

Beaulieu, a former MLA, took over from a previous administrator in the summer of 2024. Earlier this month, communities minister Vince McKay said there is no timeline for Fort Resolution to return to the control of an elected mayor and council.

The hamlet said a continued shortfall in one account means some funding can’t be released to the community, but other pots of funding are now coming in “to be used towards improving the hamlet’s capital assets.”

In Wednesday’s update, the hamlet listed work on potholes, the youth centre and the water treatment plant as recent highlights. More road improvements, removal of hazardous waste from the landfill, community hall upgrades and a new water truck are proposed projects for 2025-26.

The hamlet said it also has a new collective agreement with the Union of Northern Workers – replacing one that expired more than a decade ago.

Fort Resolution is now planning a community emergency preparedness meeting in the weeks ahead, while a recreation programmer will soon be hired after two years without hamlet-coordinated recreation activities.