Northwest Territories

Burgundy Diamond Mines laid off several hundred workers, including 119 union members, at the Ekati diamond mine in N.W.T. after shutting down operations at the Point Lake development, which became sub-economic with current diamond prices. The company plans to restart Point Lake in mid-2026 and has released a life-of-mine plan extending operations until 2040, with laid-off workers eligible to reclaim their positions if reinstated within a year.

Aurora Group of Companies laid off all 90 of its mechanics and welders at the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories due to missed payments from mine owner Burgundy Diamond Mines, which owes approximately $8 million in arrears. The layoffs occurred in stages between June and September 2025 as the company faced financial challenges attributed to record-low diamond prices and U.S. tariffs disrupting the global diamond trade.

Collège Nordique Francophone in Yellowknife, N.W.T. announced layoffs of 7 employees (35% of its 20-person staff) following a significant federal funding cut in September 2025. The college's annual federal funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage was reduced from approximately $2.8 million to about $1.35 million due to a new bilateral funding agreement for minority-language education.