Northern Leaders respond to Prime Minister’s investment announcement

Following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement on Thursday of major economic and Arctic security investments, a number of NWT leaders gathered at the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife to share their thoughts.

After an opening prayer from the Yellowknives Dene Drummers, Premier R.J. Simpson was the first to speak.

“Many of us just heard Prime Minister Carney make an announcement that three major projects in the Northwest Territories are being referred to the Major Project Office, and that we’re being supported by the Federal Government in advance of those projects.

“I’m actually at a loss for words right now, because the speech that we heard the Prime Minister make is essentially the speech I’ve been making for the past couple years, and especially this last year. The difference is, I was saying we should do this, and he was saying we are going to do this! These are truly nation building projects in the plainest sense of the word.

“I have to thank a number of people for making this a reality. These projects would not be happening if not for the collaboration we’ve seen here in the territory. There had to be a number of external factors that we don’t control. We needed a rupture in our relationship with the United States. We needed a change in the geopolitical order of the world. We needed a Prime Minister from the Northwest Territories, but we also needed to work together in the Territories.”

Premier Simpson also highlighted how this development shows what can be accomplished when governments work openly and honestly with Indigenous communities and governments.

“We needed to come together, trust each other, and put in the effort to ensure that we could be trusted as the government. I’m well aware of the historic relationship between the government and indigenous peoples, and we came in and we tried to change that. A lot of strides have been made, and a lot of people over the years have tried to change our relationship. And try as we might, we can’t do it alone. And it took that cooperation, that faith and that trust from indigenous governments to actually get us to this place.

Premier R.J. Simpson speaking at a press conference following Prime Minister Carney’s Northern Investment announcement (Connor Pitre/CLKB)

“When I’ve been lobbying the Prime Minister and federal ministers, I go there and I say that we’re not doing this alone. We’re doing this with indigenous peoples. And if the people whose land these projects are going to be built on don’t want that to happen because we’re doing in a way that they don’t like, well then, we just don’t do it. So, these projects are an example for Canada on how you work with indigenous people and how you advance major nationwide projects you have to do with free, prior, informed consent, and that’s what we’re doing here in the truest sense.”

Next to speak was Charles McNeely, the Chair of the Sahtu Secretariat.

“This is a pretty big day for us in the Sahtu. We’re pretty strong supporters of the Mackenzie Valley Highway. We’ve got a lot of contractors in our region that are struggling. They need work, and this is a great opportunity for everyone all the way down the Valley.

People have been talking about the cost of living with groceries being so expensive, and now our doors are opening. That’s what we’ve wanted to see for the longest time.”

Charles McNeely, the Chair of the Sahtu Secreta speaking at a press conference following Prime Minister Carney’s Northern Investment announcement (Connor Pitre/CLKB)

McNeely added that these new projects will provide more opportunities and jobs for the younger generations of the Territory.

Chief Jamie Moses of the SDK First Nation expressed his delight with the heavy involvement of Indigenous voices in this process, and was happy that these projects can finally move forward.

Gwich’in Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr. was unable to attend the conference in person, but left a recorded message to share his thoughts on the matter. He took a moment to express his gratitude to all of the collaborators who helped to make these developments possible.

“The all-season Mackenzie Valley highway project is an essential support component for Canada’s planned major defense related investments in the north and in Gwich’in traditional territory in the Gwich’in settlement area in particular.”

Blake added that the Gwich’in government is working with Northern Alberta’s Peerless Trout First Nation and Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated on a Mackenzie Valley Highway Memorandum of Understanding, which is expected to be completed soon.

UPDATE: The main photo was changed when a better option became available.