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Premiers push Ottawa to build Northern infrastructure after Arctic foreign policy

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Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, centre, speaks to the media as Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, left, and NWT Premier R.J. Simpson listen during the fall meetings of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 premiers hosted by Ontario in Toronto on Monday, Dec. 16. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 Northern premiers are pitching the federal government to dip into its defence budget as a way to bolster Arctic infrastructure and help meet the NATO spending target in the process.

The calls come after Canada released its new Arctic foreign policy earlier this month, which committed to promoting investment in a wide range of sectors SA国际影视传媒 including critical mineral development, transportation and energy SA国际影视传媒 but didnSA国际影视传媒檛 specifically make funding commitments in those areas.

The policy, Ottawa says, complements the updated defence policy released last April, which focused heavily on the Arctic, promising $218 million over 20 years to build and operate SA国际影视传媒渟upport hubsSA国际影视传媒 across the North.

Those hubs will come with infrastructure upgrades for communities that include improved communications, water and power facilities.

While the locations of the hubs have yet to be determined SA国际影视传媒 save perhaps for Inuvik, where the Defence Department is upgrading the local airport as part of its Norad modernization SA国际影视传媒 the Northern premiers argue there are other areas where infrastructure investment can be tied to defence spending.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e talked many times to the federal government about infrastructure and the possibility of including that as defence spending,SA国际影视传媒 said NWT Premier R.J. Simpson in an interview.

Among the more ambitious pitches heSA国际影视传媒檚 made is to build road infrastructure to help mine and move the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 critical minerals.

The territory is home to one of the worldSA国际影视传媒檚 largest tungsten deposits outside of China. Its high melting point, density and strength make tungsten a key component in armour-piercing ammunition, armour plating and aviation components.

It would also help bolster the economy of the Northwest Territories, where mining and oil and gas extraction represented almost one-fifth of the GDP in 2023.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the territory, we have an abundance of critical minerals. And ensuring that we have the infrastructure to access those is important,SA国际影视传媒 Simpson said.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of those critical minerals are used for defence purposes.SA国际影视传媒

Simpson said he hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 heard an official response one way or the other, but did note NATO has specific criteria for what counts as defence spending.

All 32 NATO allies have agreed to spend the equivalent of at least two per cent of their GDP on defence each year. CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 spending is projected at 1.37 per cent this year, and it does not plan to meet the target until at least 2032.

Deep-sea ports

Anessa Kimball, a professor at Universite Laval who has written about NATOSA国际影视传媒檚 spending targets, said Canada could likely make the case that critical minerals and infrastructure are part of its defence spending.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen it comes to protecting supply chains and ensuring access to critical minerals, those would all be highly consistent with the types of things NATO now thinks fall underneath this broadened umbrella of what is defence and security,SA国际影视传媒 she said.

Kimball said one of the challenges for Canada is that in order for fixed-asset infrastructure to qualify, it must be clear what percentage of that infrastructure could be contributed to NATO missions or operations. That is harder in Canada than it is in Europe, where countries can easily access each otherSA国际影视传媒檚 facilities.

For Nunavut, part of its ambition is deep-sea port facilities. These would bolster the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 fishery economy and help with the off-loading of goods and materials in summer seasons. It could also provide a naval presence along the Northwest Passage.

SA国际影视传媒淚t would really provide an opportunity for, whether itSA国际影视传媒檚 search and rescue, whether thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a fuel spill in the Arctic SA国际影视传媒 which we know is a concern,SA国际影视传媒 said Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok.

He, like Simpson, has also pushed for Ottawa to fund critical mineral supply roads for his territory.

Canada does have plans for a naval facility at Nanisivik, which will serve as a refuelling station for Canadian government vessels in the Arctic, though it is a trimmed-down version of what was originally conceived.

In 2022, CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 auditor general raised feasibility concerns with the facility, saying it provided little value. The project, which the federal government is already into for more than $100 million, is also behind schedule.

The notion of nation-building as part of sovereignty isnSA国际影视传媒檛 lost on CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 defence minister.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen I first went to the North as CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 defence minister, I was thinking about the work that we had to do there to strengthen our defence capabilities,SA国际影视传媒 Bill Blair said.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut it was Northerners who told me SA国际影视传媒業f you want to assert our sovereignty, itSA国际影视传媒檚 much more than a military plane flying overhead.SA国际影视传媒 What I heard was the same: invest in infrastructure. Invest in important things.SA国际影视传媒

During the Arctic foreign policy announcement, Blair said the changing Arctic environment has opened up threats and vulnerabilities as well as opportunities.

Those are words Akeeagok said mattered, and ones Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai said Northerners need to keep hearing.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have to be in a position as a country to be ambitious enough to build nation-building projects. It may come across as sort of the word or flavour of the day, but we know what it means to build a Trans-Canada (highway), we know what it means to connect with rail,SA国际影视传媒 he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know these bigger projects in our country, how theySA国际影视传媒檝e transformed the world that weSA国际影视传媒檙e in. And in the North, we need that ambition still.SA国际影视传媒

SA国际影视传媒擝y Nick Murray, The Canadian Press





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