Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson says the federal government's Arctic defence buildup is already landing in his territory in a way that feels new.
Where past federal announcements left the NWT scrambling to catch up, Simpson describes a level of coordination on projects like the Inuvik and Yellowknife northern operational support hubs that he says the territory simply isn't used to.
But the premier is also candid about what the investment is arriving into: a territory running on infrastructure that's decades old and, in his words, all coming due. He wants any new spending to build on assets already in place — the JTFN headquarters, forward operating locations, the Rangers — rather than repeat old patterns that left communities on the sidelines.
The following is one segment of a three-part series interviewing the Northern premiers. Read about Nunavut’s concerns about Inuit inclusion here. Meanwhile, the premier of Yukon is worried about being left behind.
What does that investment actually look like on the ground in your territory right now?
There was a pre-procurement notice for Inuvik and Yellowknife northern operational support hubs at five billion dollars each, and I think from what I've heard they're forecasting an increase from that. So there's definitely money being spent.
Do you feel you're being consulted early enough on these projects?
It's almost strange how much they're coordinating with us, how much they're listening to us. We're not used to that in the territory, we're sort of used to being ignored a little bit.
What's the biggest strain on local infrastructure from all of this?
We're starting from a deficit. A lot of our infrastructure is decades old, and now it's all coming due. We're in the same boat, a lot of really outdated infrastructure at the best of times.
How much of the economic benefit — jobs and contracts — do you expect to stay in the north?
We don't want to miss out on any economic benefits from all of these projects. I want there to be buy-in, I really want the territory to embrace CAF and our new role.
Does Ottawa's definition of Arctic sovereignty match how you'd define it for your territory and residents?
The people of the territory are the ones asserting Arctic sovereignty every single day, on the ground.
If you had one specific change to how the federal government plans or delivers this investment, what would it be?
It's been done one way in the past. We want to make sure it's done a different way, to the benefit of the territory, going forward.
Anything else you want to add?
Both the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor are going to open up areas for development where we know there are critical minerals that we need. That's the other exciting thing about this, that focus on a new era of mining in the territory, and in Canada.
