How gov't services and public facilities in N.W.T. will be impacted over the holidays

Municipal and territorial governments, along with public facilities like pools or recreation centres will close, reduce their hours or limit their services starting Thursday.

Services across the N.W.T. are moving to reduced hours or closing over the holidays

Alice Twa CBC News Posted: Dec 22, 2021 7:00 AM EST | Last Updated: December 22, 2021

A view of the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex in Inuvik, N.W.T. The fitness centre and arena inside will remain open over the holidays to offer more public skate and ice rental options. (David Thurton/CBC)

As the holidays approach, many territorial and municipal government buildings and public facilities will close, shorten their hours or have some services unavailable as they do every year.

Most territorial government departments will close on Dec.23 and reopen Jan. 4.

Some exceptions include the COVID-19 Secretariat, which will continue usual operationsbut will operate on reduced hours on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The COVID-19 testing centre in Yellowknife will close at 2 p.m. on Christmas eve and New Year's Eve, and operate on reduced hours from Dec.26 to 28. It willbe closed all day on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Health centres

Hay River's COVID-19 testing centre will remain open all holiday season for those who have booked appointments. The Inuvik testing centre will close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and will open on New Year's Day if there is demand.

Almost all health centres across the Territory will be closedfrom Dec. 25 to 28 and from Jan. 1 to 3 with the exception to the Fort Smith Primary Care Clinic, which will also close at noon on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

The emergency department at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, the Inuvik Regional Hospital and the Hay River Regional Health Centre's emergency department will remain open over the holidays

The Yellowknife Multiplex along with the Ruth Inch memorial Pool and the Yellowknife Field House will be closed Dec. 25 and operate on reduced hours from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2. (Richard Gleeson/CBC)

In Yellowknife

Yellowknife's City Hall will be closed on Dec. 27 and 28 while only opening for the morning on Christmas Eve and closing at 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

The Ruth Inch Memorial Pool, the Multiplex and the Field House will all be closed on Christmas Day and will be reducing their hours over various days fromDec. 20 to Jan. 2.

The Yellowknife Public Library will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The Solid Waste Facility will be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 27 and New Year's Day, but will remain open on Boxing Day for an amnesty day.

Public transit will not run on Christmas Day, Dec. 27, New Year's Day and Jan. 3. Express buses will not run the afternoons of Dec.22 to Christmas Eve and Jan. 4, and all day from Christmas Day to Jan. 3.

The village office in Fort Simpson, N.W.T. They will close on Dec. 24 and reopen on Jan. 4 (Hannah Paulson/CBC)

In other N.W.T. communities

In Hay River, the Town Office and Recreation Centre will remain open every day except Christmas and New Year's.

The Inuvik Municipal Office will close at noon on Dec. 24 and not reopen until Jan. 4.

The Invuik arena will remain open over the holidays to offer more public skating and ice rental options. The library will be open every afternoon except Christmas and New Year's Day, and the fitness centre will have reduced hours.

The Village of Fort Simpson and the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre will be closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3. And there will be no public skates from Dec. 24 to 27 and from Jan. 1 to 3.

The Fort Simpson landfill will be closed on Dec.24 to 27, Dec.29 and fromDec.31 to Jan,3.

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