Welcome to the new GNWT.ca | Government of Northwest Territories

Topics, themes and tasks

Please browse through the site and see the topics, themes and tasks we’ve organized around. You can see these on the homepage (GNWT.ca) or by opening the Menu, visible in the top-right corner of every page.

Reorganizing for one website

GNWT.ca brings together content from 10+ departmental websites. There was some overlap and repetition so we've reorganized content. Pages won't look exactly like they did on the old gov.nt.ca sites. When we talk about reorganizing, this is what we mean:

Combining several small pages about the same program or service into one page with clear headings.
Changing the order content appears in – typically to bring vital program and service details to the top, and to highlight how you access programs and services.
Adding clear calls to action, instructions to apply, contact information and application forms directly on the page where residents need it.
Adding ‘you might also be interested in’ connections. We are trying to logically connect topics and tasks that residents do together. For example: on a page about registering a newborn, “You might also be interested in getting a health care card for your newborn.”

Content on the site

The new GNWT.ca looks and works a bit different from the old gov.nt.ca sites. We've simplified some things, eliminated some messy technical stuff behind the scenes, and now display most content in one of four ways: Basic pages, landing pages, resources and news. There are a couple exceptions, but most of the content that residents use will be basic pages, landing pages, resources and news. You can learn about each kind of content below.

Basic pages

This page you're on right now is a "Basic Page". Basic pages are the main way that we display the most important content. Basic pages describe programs and services and tell you how to access them. Basic pages also provide information about important topics. We use headings on basic pages to make content easier to skim.

We've tried to organize basic pages so that the vital information residents need most is up top. Headings that describe what a program is, who is eligible, and what benefit you receive will be right up top. Instructions to apply will follow immediately after, and any forms, documents, guides, contact information or steps needs to be included.

Landing pages

Landing pages are how we group programs, services and information around topics, themes and tasks. Take a look at landing pages for Family and Social Supports or Housing, Tenancy and Land for an example.

Each of those landing pages presents related content, regardless of which department is responsible for it. The purpose of a landing page is to connect you to a program or service as quickly as possible, so we don't have a lot of text or description for each link.

Resources

Resources are things like reports, forms, and policies, often in PDF format. Residents access resources in two ways.

The first, and most important place to find resources is right on a page where that resource is most relevant. For example, a basic page about the Income Assistance Program should have a link to the application form, reporting forms, and anything else a person needs to apply for income assistance.
The second place to find resources is in the Resource Library. Youcan search through resources by title, keyword, topic, department, and type. The resource library is helpful for a person doing research, or doing a deep dive into a topic.

Newsroom

The newsroom is where the news gets posted. You can find news releases, public service announcements, public health advisories and any other news in the newsroom.

Lists, registries, and specialized content types

There are still some other kinds of content like registries, data sources, and reporting.

You can also find links to external GNWT data sources on the Open Government pages.

Search

We heard a lot about search on the old gov.nt.ca sites. We heard repeatedly that PDFs, registries, job descriptions and similar content was cluttering up search and preventing people from finding what they're really looking for.

For example, when a resident is searching for a program or services, they're probably not trying to find all of the GNWT job descriptions that include that term, or the various annual reports with a keyword in common.

So we've focused on-site search on the things residents told us matter. We've deliberately restricted it to landing pages, basic pages, and news.

Let us know what you think of the new on-site search. But please keep in mind that our top priority is making programs, services and information more findable, usable and understandable for residents.

How to submit feedback

If you have feedback on a specific page, please let us know. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the thumbs-up or thumbs-down button. If you pick the thumbs-down and the "Other" checkbox you can leave us a brief written message.

We're particularly interested in feedback about:

Related programs, services and information to add to the 'You might also be interested in' section. When a person is done on a page, what do they often do next?
Missing application forms, how-to guides or resources: If a page is telling you to apply, but the steps or documents are unclear or missing, let us know.
Is content where you expected it should be, or would it make sense to be under another heading?

Progress, not perfection

We're continuing to work on organizing content, creating connections, making sure information is clear, and editing to make it easier for you to find, understand and use our web content. Our goal is to make the website a little bit better each day. We're making progress. We're revising the pages that residents use the most, trying to anticipate and adjust for what people are looking for, and responding to feedback on pages that will have the most impact.

There will always be more we can do, and the site will never be perfect. But you can help us make progress by sending us constructive suggestions.