On March 16, 2026, Premier R.J. Simpson announced a new senior government position to help lead economic growth and job creation in communities like Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. This role was created to help the region manage changes in the economy and find new ways to bring in business and money.
Melissa Cyr will serve as the new Associate Deputy Minister, Economic Strategy and Policy for the Government of the Northwest Territories. She has worked for the territorial government for more than two decades and most recently served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Economic Development.
In this new role, Cyr will coordinate work between different government departments, including Finance, Infrastructure, Education, Culture and Employment, Environment and Climate Change, and Housing NWT. This is meant to ensure that all parts of the government are working together to support local businesses and workers.
The main goal for this position is to lead the development of a 5–10 year territorial economic strategy that focuses on building local industries and attracting new investment to the North. The government wants to make sure that residents can get more jobs and benefits from large projects, such as the highway that connects Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.
A community town hall will take place on March 20, 2026, to gather feedback from residents. Local leaders and community members will have the chance to ask how this new government position will help create more concrete opportunities for people living in the Beaufort Delta region.
