A plane carrying Russian nationals that was grounded at Yellowknife Airport on Tuesday (March 1) will stay grounded while the federal government conducts an investigation, according to the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 minister of infrastructure.
Minister Diane Archie confirmed during the March 3 sitting of the Legislative Assembly that the plane was still grounded.
She said the private aircraft appeared to be registered to an Austrian company and flew in from Geneva, Switzerland. She said there were SA国际影视传媒渘o flags raisedSA国际影视传媒� about the aircraft until it had landed and it was determined that Russian nationals were on board.
Archie said prior to the plane landing, the Department of Infrastructure had SA国际影视传媒渘o knowledge of the expeditionSA国际影视传媒� and that federal authorities had not contacted her department.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was disappointed with the lack of engagement,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson asked what would be done to increase security in the North given RussiaSA国际影视传媒檚 aggression against its neighbours.
Archie responded saying, now that tourists are once again allowed to enter the NWT, SA国际影视传媒淪A国际影视传媒ur ability to be able to restrict access to the Northwest Territories has ended.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚 canSA国际影视传媒檛 say anything further, as it is really out of our hands,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Although the identity of the passengers has not been released, the flight may be connected to a Russian-led expedition to travel to both the North and South Poles using all-terrain vehicles. Archie said on Wednesday the Russian passengers appeared to be on their way to Resolute, Nunavut as part of a planned arctic expedition.
On Feb. 28, the team of the Transglobal Car Expedition announced on Facebook its members were SA国际影视传媒渁lready in the second-largest country in the world.SA国际影视传媒�
The team also shared a map showing the route they would take through CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 north, which starts in Yellowknife and includes a stop in Resolute.
The Transglobal Car Expedition team is composed mostly of Russian nationals, including the Russian oil billionaire Vasily Shakhnovsky. The team also includes Andrew Comrie-Picard, a Canadian race-car driver.
The Transglobal Car Expedition team did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Also during ThursdaySA国际影视传媒檚 sitting, Premier Caroline Cochrane cautioned residents against prejudice towards ordinary Russians given the growing security concern. SA国际影视传媒淭he civilians of Russia are not a threat, and people need to realize that,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Inuvik Twin Lakes MLA Lesa Semmler echoed the premierSA国际影视传媒檚 comments: Once the territory reopens to tourism, she said, SA国际影视传媒淲e will have Russian families and tourists coming here.SA国际影视传媒� She reminded her colleagues of the discrimination often faced by Indigenous people, as well as by people of Asian descent since the outbreak of the pandemic.
