Nunavut, Yukon and N.W.T. sign agreements in principle with Ottawa on health funding

OTTAWA -

Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut all signed on to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's health funding offer today, leaving Quebec the only holdout on the new accords.

Trudeau presented his offer to provincial and territorial premiers in February as local politicians, doctors, nurses and health advocates raised concerns about a national health-care crisis.

At the time, premiers signalled that they would agree, though the prime minister's offer fell well short of what they had hoped for.

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Territorial leaders suggested they were disappointed with the offer and called on the federal government to put more money toward the Territorial Health Investment Fund, which helps pay for medical travel and other costs of delivering health care in the North.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says there was a breakthrough in negotiations with the territories after the federal government agreed to put $350 million toward that fund over the next 10 years.

Duclos says his office is still negotiating with Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023