What's getting cut, what's getting money in the N.W.T. budget

The N.W.T. government announced cuts to several jobs and programs in the 2016-2017 budget Wednesday.

Note: the eliminated positionslisted beloware amongthe 58 job cuts previously announced.

Cuts include:

• 12 positions eliminated in Department of Education, Culture and Employment, including an archivist and library clerk;
• Eliminatingone of two probation officer positions in Fort Good Hope; one of two probation officer positions in Tuktoyaktuk; and athird RCMP officer in Tulita;
• Reducingspending to the GNWT's Business Development Inc. by $493,000;
• Eliminatingtwo warden positions one at the North Slave Correctional Centre, one at the North Slave Young Offender Facility; (anew warden position will be created for the merged North Slave Correctional Complex)
• Eliminating themanager of victim services position for a savings of $67,000;
• Eliminatingtwo funded midwife positions (which were never filled)to save$410,000;
• Eliminating a North Slave environmental protection officer, for savings of $140,000;
• AmalgamatingFinancial Shared Services with Employee Services, for a savings of $1.2 million;
• $11,000on water coolers atthe Department of Justice;
• and cutting the annual Dall sheep survey in theSahtu region, at a savings of $40,000.

Other programs and departments will see morespending, including:

• $240,000 for two new N.W.T. Archives positions to work on devolution files;

• $7 million more to Health and Social Services, including health facilities, long-term care beds, and implementation of anew Mental Health Act;

• $825,000 to support Tourism 2020for marketing research, community engagementand skills development in the N.W.T.;

• $6 million to Education, Culture and Employment, including more support for post-secondary students, children from low-income families, and employment programs for people with disabilities;

• $2.2 million for Student Financial Assistance, including a $2,000 'Northern Bonus' for students from the N.W.T., or those that live in the territory for at least one year after graduation;

• $5.9 million budget increase to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for wildfirefighting (for total budget of $13 million);

• $760,000 to the Arctic Energy Alliance for energy conservation and renewable energy initiatives;

• and $169,000 to the N.W.T. Nominee Program, to encourage immigration into the territory.