COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for reliable housing funding in the North
When the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in Canada, the concern was immediately palpable in northern communities, where a persistent housing crisis has led to a high prevalence of respiratory disease, and compounds additional social determinants of health. Combined with a threadbare health-care system that leaves many communities without even a resident nurse, the northern […]
Investment in the North is investment in reconciliation
For decades, the Northwest Territories has been playing catch up to southern Canada. There are economic and social challenges that affect our territory and residents in ways that our neighbours south of the 60th parallel take for granted: basic infrastructure like roads, broadband, cleaner sources of energy, and affordable housing. A recent discussion paper from […]
Clean, co-operative resource development will secure our future in the North
When we negotiated the Nunavut Agreement 30 years ago, we had a vision for Nunavut as a vibrant, economically self-sufficient territory that leveraged its own resources. Our vision anticipated major development, as we had seen in other jurisdictions, and guaranteed Inuit a right to fully take part in this development. Institutions were created through the […]
Why Inuit matter globally
This fall has seen devastating floods hit southern British Columbia following a summer of heat waves, drought, and wildfires. And Newfoundland and Labrador and other parts of the East Coast have experienced unprecedented storms that have cut roads and isolated communities. While we have been feeling the impacts of rising temperatures, melting sea ice, and […]
Emergency management must be central to climate change response in the North
Robust emergency management capabilities must be a central component of climate change response plans in the North. From wildfires to flooding to the expansion of cruise tourism, the affects and results of climate change continue to exacerbate the risks posed by a broad spectrum of natural and human-made hazards throughout the region. The risks are […]
The North
Nuclear or bust: Canadians face uncomfortable choice for new submarines
The Royal Canadian Navy recently began the process for replacing its four Victoria class diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) with a core consideration being increased Arctic capabilities. Purchased secondhand from the United Kingdom, the Victorias are infamous in the Canadian psyche: poorly preserved while awaiting their new Canadian owners, the submarines required major repairs to the hull […]
Canada must get serious about Arctic science
Canada needs to take a larger role in Arctic research. So far, despite all the dire warnings, the campaign promises, and the clear responsibility we hold, our country has failed to step up. With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) underway and a new cabinet minted after a summer of devastating fires, wild weather, and […]
A stronger Arctic Council leads towards a sustainable Arctic
Iceland’s two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council came to an end at the Reykjavík Ministerial Meeting in May 2021 with the adoption of the Reykjavík Declaration and a first-ever Strategic Plan. Since the creation of the Arctic Council in Ottawa in 1996, declarations of the biannual ministerial meetings have served as the main tool to […]
Arctic shipping critical issue for new ministers
Today, Nov. 1, 2021, is the first full day of the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland. There is a strong delegation of Inuit leaders there, supported by Inuit elders and youth. Our decades old message about climate change is no longer contested. Indeed, the most recent IPCC Report highlighted that climate change is […]
