NWT and Nunavut don't sign; Quebec and Yukon plan to join later

On the same day the nine-province Operating Agreement is signed, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut issue a joint statement explaining why they aren't joining: both territories argue that decisions about alcohol distribution in their communities — many of which restrict or ban alcohol locally — belong to those communities, not to a province-wide or national framework.

Quebec and Yukon also aren't Parties to the Operating Agreement, but for a different reason. Both signed the 2025 multilateral MOU and are still building the infrastructure to formalize their own frameworks, with Yukon coordinating its rollout at the territorial level. As of this writing, neither NWT and Nunavut's position nor Quebec and Yukon's timeline has a confirmed resolution date.