Event: 17^th Annual NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Implementation Workshop

Date: October 21-22, 2026

Location: Chateau Nova Hotel, Yellowknife, NT.

The NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Implementation Workshop is an annual forum that brings together water partners from across the Northwest Territories and beyond to share knowledge, network, strengthen relationships, and advance collective efforts to protect and steward our waters.

The workshop supports the vision of the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy “The waters of the Northwest Territories will remain clean, abundant, and productive for all time”.

The 17^th Annual NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Implementation Workshop will take place on October 21 and 22, 2026, at the Chateau Nova in Yellowknife, NT.

Theme "Healthy Water for Healthy Generations".

This year’s workshop will explore how stewardship actions today contribute to the well-being of current and future generations. Through knowledge sharing, dialogue, and collaboration, Water Partners will discuss opportunities to strengthen water stewardship and ensure NWT waters remain healthy for generations to come.

Throughout the workshop, Water Partners will aim to:

• Explore the connections between healthy waters, healthy ecosystems, and healthy communities.
• Share experiences, successes, and lessons learned from water stewardship initiatives across the NWT.
• Strengthen understanding of changes affecting NWT waters and the implications for future generations.
• Highlight Indigenous knowledge, community perspectives, and collaborative approaches to water stewardship.
• Discuss emerging priorities, opportunities, and challenges for protecting and managing NWT waters into the future.

Call for Proposals

We welcome Water Partners who are interested in moderating a session, giving a presentation, or sharing a poster presentation to submit a proposal.

Sessions and Presentations may include topics such as: 

• Community-based water stewardship initiatives and success stories.
• Indigenous knowledge, water stewardship, and intergenerational learning.
• Youth engagement, education, and leadership in water stewardship.
• Water quality, aquatic ecosystem health, and monitoring programs.
• Climate change impacts, adaptation, and resilience.
• Collaborative research, monitoring, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Source water protection and drinking water security.
• Innovations, tools, technologies, and approaches that support water stewardship.
• Partnerships that strengthen stewardship and decision-making.
• Emerging priorities and opportunities for advancing the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy.

We encourage presentations that foster discussion, learning, and meaningful knowledge exchange among Water Partners.

*Please note that any other topics that advance the goals and vision of the NWT Water Strategy are welcome to be submitted*.

To submit your proposal, please click here.

Considerations for Presenters

• Workshop Audience
  • The workshop will bring together a diverse group of Water Partners working to protect and safeguard water across the NWT. Presenters can expect an audience with varying levels of scientific and technical knowledge, expertise, and experience. 
• Formats
  • While formal presentations will be included in the program, presenters are encouraged to consider creative and interactive formats that support engagement and dialogue.
    • Moderated session (panel discussion or breakout session): See example topics above
    • Formal presentation: See example topics above
    • Poster presentation: A great way to share projects, ideas, and experiences in an informal setting. Examples include community projects and success stories, research findings and monitoring results, maps, infographics and visual storytelling, youth projects, and other initiatives.

*Support is available for presenters who would like assistance developing an engaging session format*.

Important Dates

• Submission deadline: The deadline to submit your presentation summary is August 15, 2026. 
• Follow-up to confirm presenters will be in August 2026. 

Travel Funding Assistance

• Limited funding may be available to support presenters travelling from NWT communities. If you require travel assistance, please contact us in advance by email.

Workshop Inquiries

For questions about this call for proposals and the workshop, please contact nwtwaterstrategy@gov.nt.ca.

We look forward to seeing you at the 17^th Annual Water Stewardship Strategy Implementation Workshop!