Education bodies in Dehcho welcome investigations launched by N.W.T. gov't

Luke Carroll · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

The organizations successful the Dehcho at the centre of aggregate investigations launched by the N.W.T. acquisition curate accidental they invited the scrutiny.  

The investigations, announced a week ago, are into some the Dehcho Divisional Education Council and all District Education Authorities (DEAs) successful the region.

They're wide-ranging, from finances to quality resources to unit matters and governance. According to a June 20 quality merchandise from the government, one probe into finances appears to have already started, portion different — which is an independent reappraisal looking astatine governance — begins in July and is expected to wrapper up astatine the extremity of August and see findings and adjacent steps. 

Minister Caitlin Cleveland declined an interrogation petition aft announcing the investigations past week.

Derek Squirrel, vice-chair of the DEA in Fort Simpson, says helium is gladsome the authorities is looking into issues parents are facing. 

"I deliberation it's a agelong clip coming for this," Squirrel said.

"Once we met with the curate and she mentioned that she was going to bash an investigation, we made a proposal that is that it needs to hap sooner than later, due to the fact that clip is already ticking."

Squirrel says helium isn't acrophobic that the Fort Simpson DEA is being investigated.  

"There wouldn't beryllium thing to find," helium said, adding the DEA follows the Education Act and its policies.

"All the decisions that we marque astatine a board level are not taken lightly... we invited the investigation, we deliberation that this is needed, we privation it came sooner."

'Priority is children and young people'

CBC News contacted Donna Miller Fry, the superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council (DDEC), astir the investigations into the schoolhouse committee and DEAs.

Miller Fry responded in an email that she besides welcomes the acquisition department's investigation and that her enactment volition bash immoderate they tin to enactment that work. 

The board's "priority is children and young people, and ensuring they are learning and thriving successful our schools," she wrote. 

"That happens champion erstwhile the strategy of governance is besides thriving and moving arsenic it should."

The announcement of the investigations came weeks aft parents successful Fort Simpson, N.W.T., met with Cleveland to bring guardant issues they had with the section simple schoolhouse principal.

In the meeting, Fort Simpson DEA members also outlined however their concerns had been raised with Miller Fry, and alleged that she hadn't dealt with them. 

Miller Fry has told CBC News that she couldn't talk astir that principal owed to confidentiality. 

The acquisition section has not tied the investigations to immoderate struggle oregon concerns astir the principal. Rather, the quality merchandise past week refers to "serious concerns from parents, educators, assemblage members, and acquisition partners successful the Dehcho."

The DDEC is headquartered successful Fort Simpson and is guided by trustees from that assemblage arsenic good arsenic from Kakisa, Jean Marie River, Sambaa K'e, Fort Liard, Nahanni Butte, Wrigley and Fort Providence.