Information will be released SA国际影视传媒榠n the coming weeksSA国际影视传媒� on the federal governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 long-awaited Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, according to a spokesperson.
SA国际影视传媒�We are taking the necessary time and steps to co-develop a framework that reflects and integrates the shared interests, goals and priorities of our partners and is responsive to the needs of Northerners and Arctic residents,SA国际影视传媒� stated Stephanie Palma, media relations for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
SA国际影视传媒�Once adopted, the framework will be a long-term vision to 2030 and beyond and will inform our collective priorities and investments in the region.SA国际影视传媒�
Palma says her department is also reviewing a recent senate committee report that calls on the government to conduct bold action in our Northern region.
The 139-page report, , was released by the Special Senate Committee on the Arctic on June 11. The committee is chaired by Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson but NWT Senator Margaret Dawn Anderson joined the committee after taking her seat in the Red Chamber last fall.
photo sourced from the Senate of Canada
The report focuses on economic development and infrastructure, peoples and communities, protection of the environment and biodiversity, science and traditional knowledge, and the context of our Arctic in the circumpolar world.
SA国际影视传媒�I hope government takes this report seriously,SA国际影视传媒� said Anderson. SA国际影视传媒淎s northerners, we are well aware of the impacts of the policies imposed upon us by the South, and the scale of under-investment when it comes to programs, services and infrastructure in our region.SA国际影视传媒�
Palma said the committeeSA国际影视传媒檚 recommendations align with the tack the government has been taking in Northern investment over the past four years, and the topics that will be covered in the framework mirror, to a degree, those covered by the report.
Anderson says she can identify a few of the reportSA国际影视传媒檚 recommendations that are vital to the NWT in particular.
Recommendations
Recommendations two and three recommend more devolution of federal services to local governments, more funding for the settlement of land claims, and more co-management with Indigenous and territorial governments for Arctic offshore waters.
Other recommendations Anderson identified call for climate change mitigation strategies for infrastructure and housing, investments in alternate energy to lessen reliance on diesel, increased funding for adult education, education and labour force strategies, more cultural understanding in health care, investment in community-driven environmental conservation and co-management, as well as investment in Indigenous stewardship programs and a conservation economy.
photo courtesy of Margaret Dawn Anderson.
SA国际影视传媒�Election cycles are relatively short,SA国际影视传媒� said Anderson. SA国际影视传媒淚t is my hope that the findings and recommendations in this report remain front of mind for many years to come as the Government of Canada works with the Indigenous governments and organizations, as well as the Government of Northwest Territories to address both the socio-economic disparities that exist between the NWT and the rest of Canada, as well as the significant impacts of climate change in our region.SA国际影视传媒�
Anderson said the committee worked with a common vision of making a document that reflects the thoughts and values of Northerners, and that it was a SA国际影视传媒渟uccessful bipartisan process.SA国际影视传媒�
Another major piece of the report had to do with security and sovereignty, especially as major world players like Russia and China bolster their Arctic presence, and while the U.S. has recently publicly rejected CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 claim to sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, claiming it is international water.
Palma said sovereignty is a priority for the feds.
SA国际影视传媒�Canada is firmly asserting its presence in the North, ensuring we have the capability and capacity to protect and patrol the land, sea and sky in our sovereign Arctic territory,SA国际影视传媒� stated Palma.
