Three major infrastructure projects across the Northwest Territories were named as part of a $35 billion funding announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In addition to $32 billion in defence based investments into bases in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit, and Goose Bay, The Mackenzie Valley Highway Project, the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor and the Talston Hydro Expansion project all have all received the green light from the federal government.
The Fort Smith born PM made the announcement Thursday afternoon in the city of Yellowknife at the department of national defence.
In addition, the PM committed nearly $3 billion in funding for two new Northern Operational Support Hubs and two new Northern Operational Support nodes located in Nunavut and the Yukon.
The investment announcement also included $294 million for Arctic airports, including building a runway overlay and “modernising” Rankin Inlet Airport and upgrades to Inuvik Airport
A number of Indigenous leaders were in attendance showing support including Dene National Chief George Mackenzie, Chief Ernest Betsina, Ɂek’wahtı̨dǝ́ Danny Gaudet of Délı̨nę, Chief Bertha Rabesca-Zoe, Chief Jamie Moses of Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation and President of the North Salve Métis Alliance Marc Whitford, alongside MP Minister Rebecca Alty, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simspon, Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand.
The projects are part of a strategy to “defend and transform” the country’s North.
Carney said that the war taking place in the Middle East “reinforces” that the world is “ more dangerous and divided.”
“We need to protect our territory. That’s what we’re doing. Secondly, it reinforces that we can be hit from shocks from abroad, economic shock,” he said.
“We need to invest in home and be strong at home. That’s what we’re doing and it also reinforces that we need all forms of energy in order to be resilient so yes, oil and gas and we’re developing those in a responsible way but also clean energy. And part of today’s announcement is to finally get the north off of diesel whose prices are going up,” added the PM.
Last month, Carney announced a national and industrial defence strategy worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
The PM had said the strategy’s three goals would be to protect sovereignty, “particularly in the Arctic” by providing the military with tools to defend the country, build “prosperity” and a greater “ability to act independently” in a “more dangerous world.”
The PM has been critical that Canada has not invested enough on defence in the last decades.
“This has created vulnerabilities we can no longer afford and dependencies we can no longer sustain,” said PM Carney.
In February’s speech in Montreal, the PM had said the strategy will be worth hundreds of billions of dollars and will create 125,000 high paying jobs
“We are announcing Canada’s first-ever Defence Industrial Strategy. It’s a bold plan to get our Armed Forces what they need and when they need it, scale Canadian defence companies, put hundreds of billions of dollars into strategic sectors of our economy, and create over 125,000 high-paying jobs across Canada,” said PM Carney.
The prime minister said the approach would prioritize investment in companies based within the country.
“The centrepiece of our new approach is the new Defence Investment Agency (DIA). The DIA will streamline and speed procurement, cut red tape, and expand domestic production,” he added.
