U.S. Congress can’t find way out of fiscal purgatory
OTTAWA—The collapse of Congress’s Super Committee signals another failure by the Americans to find a path out of the fiscal purgatory to which decades of irresponsible policies have condemned them. Democrats and Republicans bear equal responsibility for this failure, as they do for the cumulative failure of imagination and leadership that has landed America […]
North Policy Briefing
PM cites Northern Strategy, Arctic sovereignty
The following is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s August 26 at the Yukon’s Kluane National Park. The speech was edited to fit the page. KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, YUKON—It is a real pleasure for me to be here, to enjoy the warm hospitality that I’ve received at Haines Junction today, and to be able to see Kluane […]
Rangers helping CF maintain presence in North
The following is a speech Defence Minister Peter MacKay delivered in Whitehorse, Yukon, on July 24 to the Canadian Rangers. The speech was edited to fit the page. WHITEHORSE, YUKON—Although the Yukon is a corner of the globe rich in resources and overflowing with astonishing vistas, it’s important to be mindful that you—our Canadian […]
Federal government should have long-term strategy for mining in Canada’s North: experts
Canada’s Arctic is experiencing a boom in the mining industry that could continue for decades to come but inherent challenges in infrastructure and labour still cause difficulties and need to be addressed, say mining experts. “The opportunity facing Canadian mining right now hasn’t been seen in generations. We probably haven’t seen anything like this […]
Mining booming in Canada’s North: an overview
Since the brief recession in the mining industry in 2008, mining has come back with a boom in Canada’s North. The government and mining companies have been expressing a distinct interest in Northern resources. The following is an overview of what’s happening on the mining front. Geoscience Earlier this month the Canadian Northern […]
CanNOR agency inefficient, facing problems, say opposition MPs
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency is inefficient and its activities are shrouded in mystery two years after its creation to help battle issues specific to economic development in northern communities, say opposition critics. “I think this agency has had lots of problems since it’s been formulated,” said NDP MP Dennis Bevington (Western Arctic, […]
Yukon: a new gold rush is on
PARLIAMENT HILL—With the Yukon’s unemployment rate tagged at 5.6 per cent it’s hard to argue a new rush isn’t on. Exploration investments have increased from $20-million in 2004 to a record high that is expected to exceed $300-million this year. That represents 10 per cent of exploration spending in Canada. Gold continues to lure […]
Canada’s federal Arctic policy must start with the people who live there
PARLIAMENT HILL—I once asked an elder at the Elder’s Centre in Iqaluit why she thought she was respected as an ‘Elder,’ while in the South she would have been called ‘elderly.’ Without missing a beat she said, “Because life in the North is tough, we are respected because we are the survivors.” Yet respect […]
Feds should continue to sponsor the University of the Arctic
PARLIAMENT HILL—Discussions about the economic development of Canada’s North usually focus on areas such as capital investment or deregulation. One crucial element of economic development which needs more discussion is education, particularly post-secondary education. The individual benefits of post-secondary education are well-documented, and include better employment prospects, higher salaries, and a greater ability to […]
