Fort Smith’s town council will write to Premier RJ Simpson and other ministers requesting more engagement in meetings about the NWT government’s capital plans.
During a council meeting on Tuesday, councillor Mike Couvrette put forth a motion to encourage GNWT departments to engage with community members in discussions about capital projects in and around the town “at least on a yearly basis.”
The motion passed.
Couvrette said a lack of consultation on the development of the Territorial Fire Centre project triggered the motion. The GNWT has allocated $17.8 million for the facility within its 2026-27 capital budget.
“As part of that discussion, I think it really brought to light to me the fact that the government doesn’t really talk to us about their capital plan,” he said during the meeting.
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“We’re talking government that is typically spending about $300 million a year, and I think they have a due diligence or an obligation to talk to the communities that are going to be impacted by their capital plans.”
