September 13, 2018

Minister Schumann appeared this week before the Special Senate Committee on the Arctic.

The Committee is touring Canada’s North to address a number of themes capsulated by the federal government’s proposed Arctic Policy Framework. The GNWT has been an active participant in the development of the Framework; and the Committee was especially interested in hearing from Minister Schumann on matters relating to economic development and the NWT’s infrastructure needs.

For the Minister and our government, it was a welcome opportunity to bring greater federal understanding and awareness to northern priorities and the Pan-Territorial Vision for Sustainable Development.

Minister Schumann impressed on Committee members the GNWT’s focus on creating economic opportunities throughout the NWT in partnerships with Indigenous governments and businesses.

“Indigenous businesses have proven their capacity to play an active, fully-engaged role in the economy and are encouraging NWT governments and organizations to act and invest accordingly,” he noted. “The increasing and expanding participation and engagement of Indigenous businesses, in particular, is evidence of a changing and fast-developing NWT economy.”

The NWT is one of the only jurisdictions in which decision-making and resource revenue sharing agreements exist with Indigenous governments.

But, Minister Schumann also noted that the GNWT can only do so much. “Large-scale investment in northern energy, transportation and communications infrastructure corridors will be needed to create investment and economic opportunities in all sectors”.

The minister identified four priority infrastructure projects, including the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project, Tłı̨chǫ All-season Road, Mackenzie Valley Highway, and Slave Geological Province Access Corridor.

“Each of these”, he said “have the potential to make a transformative impact on the territory by helping unlock our full economic potential, transition to a lower carbon economy, and stabilize the cost of living.”

Read the Minister’s full remarks here