The Office of the Auditor General of Canada has begun preliminary performance audit work on emergency management in the Northwest Territories, federal officials confirmed this week after visits to communities affected by recent disasters.
Auditors met with residents and local leaders
Auditors travelled to Enterprise and Hay River in recent weeks, where they met with community leaders and residents to gather input on how the territorial government handled emergency prevention, response and recovery.
Hay River senior administrative officer Glenn Smith told town council that he and Mayor Kandis Jameson met with representatives from the Office of the Auditor General the previous week. Smith said they provided information and reflections about their experience dealing with the territorial departments responsible for emergencies.
“We provided input on recent experiences in dealing with ECC and Maca, primarily through the 2022 and 2023 emergency events,”
The acronyms refer to the territorial Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), both of which play key roles in territorial emergency planning and response.
Residents described meetings as thorough
Enterprise council member Darren Sopel, recently elected, said he spoke with two federal auditors in mid-September about the immediate response to a 2023 wildfire that destroyed much of the hamlet and about continuing recovery challenges. Sopel described the interview as detailed and said one of the auditors took extensive notes.
“It was a good conversation. I’ve never seen anybody write so fast in my life.”
Sopel also said he learned about the auditors' visit by chance after contacting MACA. He does not know of other Enterprise residents who spoke directly with the auditors.
Audit process and timeline
A spokesperson for the Office of the Auditor General confirmed the territory is the subject of a preliminary performance audit relating to emergency management. The audit is listed in the upcoming reports section of the auditor general's website and is expected to be released in 2027.
It was not immediately clear whether auditors plan to visit additional communities beyond Enterprise and Hay River as part of their work.
Local experience with recent emergencies
Hay River and Enterprise were singled out because of their recent experiences with significant emergency events. Hay River residents and officials recounted a major flood in 2022 and severe wildfires in 2023, while Enterprise endured a devastating wildfire in 2023 that destroyed large parts of the hamlet.
| Community | Major recent event | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Hay River | Flood | 2022 |
| Hay River | Wildfires | 2023 |
| Enterprise | Wildfire that destroyed much of the hamlet | 2023 |
What auditors sought from witness accounts
According to the people who spoke with auditors, questions focused on:
- Immediate response actions during emergency events;
- Coordination between territorial departments, local authorities and community responders;
- Preparedness and recovery processes following the 2022 flood and 2023 wildfires.
Those topics align with the mandate of a performance audit, which typically assesses whether public programs are delivering results effectively and whether authorities are prepared to respond to future events.
Implications for the territory
The Office of the Auditor General’s forthcoming report could have significant implications for how emergency management is organised and resourced in the Northwest Territories. Findings may influence provincial-territorial coordination, funding allocations, and operational practices at ECC and MACA.
Local leaders who met with auditors have emphasised the importance of clear communication, improved planning and more support for communities impacted by disasters. How those concerns are reflected in the federal audit will be seen when the full report is published in 2027.
The Office of the Auditor General did not provide additional comment about the scope of the review or any planned visits beyond Enterprise and Hay River.
— Reporting from Hay River.
