With just 45,000 people spread across a vast northern expanse, the Northwest Territories may not always command national attention. But we are central to Canada’s future, and our success will determine whether this country can meet the challenges of the moment.
The North holds answers to some of Canada’s most pressing issues: securing Arctic sovereignty, powering the energy transition, adapting to climate change, and unlocking the critical minerals that will fuel the global economy. These aren’t regional aspirations—they are the foundation of Canada’s prosperity and security. And in the Northwest Territories, they are lived realities. Our priorities aren’t just aligned with Canada’s—they are essential to achieving them.
That’s why I’m in Ottawa this week. Not just to ask for investment, but to help deliver on a national plan to build a stronger Canada. Prime Minister Carney has called for urgent action on infrastructure, energy, economic competitiveness, and governance reform. We share that vision. But to make it real, Canada must treat the North as a full partner, not an afterthought.
Across the Northwest Territories, vital infrastructure is missing, outdated, or at risk. Entire regions still rely on winter roads that are no longer dependable due to climate change. Power grids are isolated and diesel-dependent. And the communities that physically demonstrate Canadian sovereignty face serious consequences when transportation and communications corridors are severed by wildfires or other emergencies, with no built-in redundancy. These aren’t regional inconveniences—they are national vulnerabilities. And unless we act, they will only grow.
The good news is that we know what needs to be done, and we’re already moving forward.
We’ve identified three transformative projects that directly align with federal priorities: the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Slave Geological Province Corridor. These are not theoretical concepts. They are real projects, developed in close partnership with Indigenous governments, and steadily advancing toward construction. They will connect communities, reduce emissions, and unlock the minerals needed to build electric vehicles, defence systems, and clean technologies right here in Canada.
But beyond individual projects, we need a true nation-building agenda, one that integrates the North into a single Canadian economy and matches the scale of Canada’s global ambitions.
We need federal investment that reflects the urgency of the moment, including 100 percent federal funding for major Northern infrastructure where the national interest is clear. We need programs and policies designed for the North, not retrofitted afterward. That means recognizing higher costs, logistical realities, and the need for flexibility—especially when working with Indigenous and territorial governments.
We also need policy decisions grounded in Northern realities. That includes embedding a Northern lens into federal cabinet decision-making so national strategies don’t unintentionally sideline the very places that make those strategies possible.
And above all, we need real partnership. Indigenous governments aren’t stakeholders—they are governments in their own right. Every file we’re advancing, from energy and climate to housing and health, is rooted in shared leadership and a commitment to reconciliation through action.
This trip to Ottawa isn’t about asking for handouts. It’s about asking Canada to match our ambition and to see the North not as a cost centre or policy challenge, but as a strategic asset.
We have the vision. We’ve done the planning. We’re ready to deliver.
Canada’s ability to assert sovereignty in the Arctic, secure long-term energy resilience, and compete globally in a shifting world depends on what happens in the North. The time to act—and invest—is now.
The North isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a partner in building Canada’s future. Let’s build it together.
