The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce is urging Ottawa and the GNWT to increase immigration allocations to address what it calls a workforce crisis across the territory.

"The Northwest Territories is facing an urgent workforce crisis, and we need immediate action to increase immigration allocations," reads a Feb. 3 news release. "Without a rapid and substantial increase in nominee spots, businesses will close, essential services will be cut and economic growth will stall."

Last month, the GNWT announced that the Northwest Territories Nominee Program was going to reopen on Jan. 30, only to reverse course less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to kick off. 

The territorial government says it was told that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would be reducing the NWT nominee allotment for 2025 to 150, a 50 per cent cut from the 2024 figure of 300.

"The current immigration cap is crippling businessesSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™ ability to retain workers," stated Matthew Halliday, executive director of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce. "Employers are under immense pressure, knowing they may lose key staff due to the lack of nomination spots. Some businesses are now facing the harsh reality that they may have to close if they canSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™t keep their existing workforce."

The press release specifically calls on Education, Culture and Employment Minister Caitlin Cleveland and NWT Member of Parliament Michael McLeod to do two things: push for a higher number of nomination spots and create an immigration pathway catered to the NWT's to economic, demographic and geographic needs.

"We stand ready to support the government in securing the necessary immediate allocations and in creating a long-term immigration strategy," the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce news release reads. "They are calling on territorial and federal governments to take immediate action before the territorySA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™s labour crisis worsens."