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The federal government has issued an order formally authorizing disaster assistance payments to help Tuktoyaktuk in the aftermath of storm surge that hit the hamlet last year.
For months, the Arctic coastal community said it had no access to federal help – administered via the territorial government – after roads were washed out and some homes surrounded by water during the August 2025 storm.
Disaster assistance in the NWT has been more commonly associated with wildfires and spring floods.
In October 2025, Nunakput MLA and cabinet member Lucy Kuptana told the legislature Tuktoyaktuk was being left to manage the aftermath of the storm largely on its own.
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Last month, the NWT’s Department of Municipal and Community Affairs said Tuktoyaktuk did ultimately qualify for disaster assistance.
“This assessment was based on the scale and impact of flooding, severe weather damage, and uninsurable losses,” a spokesperson stated.
Now, the federal government has issued an order-in-council that paves the way for financial assistance to reach the hamlet.
Under the Emergency Management Act, Ottawa can send financial assistance to a province or territory if an order is made that declares an event to be “of concern to the federal government.”
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The order-in-council in question, issued last week, makes that declaration.
According to the order, the NWT government “requested financial assistance from the federal government on February 27, 2026” regarding the storm surge in Tuk the previous August.
Maca has said its staff went to Tuktoyaktuk in April to collect applications and information from affected residents.
Mayor Vince Teddy said at the time that any support forthcoming would be “better late than never.”
The order means the federal public safety minister is now “authorized to provide financial assistance,” though the sum available and timeline for doing so are not set out.
