2026 NWT Water Stewardship Award Highlights

Award Recipients

We’re proud to recognize Tim Heron, Ethan Gladue, and Gwen McKay as the three recipients of the 2026 NWT Water Stewardship Award. This year’s recipients include one Elder and two youth, whose leadership, dedication, and contributions reflect the importance of water stewardship across generations in the Northwest Territories.

The GNWT Department of Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Indigenous Steering Committee, established this award in 2024. The award honours individuals and organizations in the NWT who have made significant contributions toward the vision of the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy: The waters of the NWT will remain clean, abundant, and productive for all time.

Tim Heron

• The Northwest Territory Métis Nation (NWTMN) nominated Tim in recognition of his longstanding leadership and significant contributions to water stewardship across the NWT. Tim has been involved in the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy since its earliest development, helping ensure Indigenous values and perspectives are reflected in water stewardship initiatives. As the NWTMN representative on the Water Strategy Indigenous Steering Committee, he has fostered partnerships and collaboration among Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, and water partners.
• His contributions extend beyond the Strategy through his involvement in numerous environmental initiatives, including climate change and cumulative impacts monitoring. His dedication and leadership demonstrate an ongoing commitment to protecting NWT waters for current and future generations.

Ethan Gladue and Gwen McKay

• Chief Sunrise Education Centre in Hay River nominated Ethan and Gwen in recognition of their leadership and commitment to water stewardship. Their nomination highlights their participation in the collaborative Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) project, azhǫ ełehéh nezų nı́d́ áots’edeɂáh, meaning “Making Good Decisions All Together,” with Kátł'odeeche First Nation.
• Their involvement reflects the important role young people play in learning about, contributing to, and carrying forward water stewardship efforts in the NWT.