Iqaluit, Nunavut - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Government of Nunavut
Indigenous, federal, territorial, and provincial partners are working together to implement the vision of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (the Framework) and develop long-lasting opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and all who live across the Arctic and the North.
Today, as part of this ongoing collaboration, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and the Honourable P.J. Akeeagok, Premier of Nunavut, co-hosted the fifth annual Arctic and Northern Policy Framework Leadership Committee meeting in Iqaluit.
They were joined by Indigenous and territorial leaders, as well as federal, territorial, and provincial partners to the Framework. Minister Vandal's federal colleague, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, joined the meeting in person while the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence; and the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health took part virtually.
The partners discussed their perspectives on the Framework as well as their immediate and longer-term priorities, including international Arctic policy, Arctic and Northern security and defence, northern housing and infrastructure, and mental health and addictions.
Premier Akeeagok noted that given today's global landscape and the centrality of circumpolar issues, it is even more pertinent to make significant investments in the Arctic that meet local community needs, forge opportunities for economic development, address reconciliation and our country's geopolitical interests in Arctic sovereignty and security.
Minister Vandal reiterated the Government of Canada's ongoing work in collaborating with Arctic and Northern partners to address local and regional priorities, support the region's unique needs, and protect its rich natural environment while building a strong and sustainable economy that leaves no one behind.
Minister Joly met with partners to discuss Canada's upcoming Arctic Foreign Policy. The policy will recalibrate Canada's foreign policy approach in the Arctic in response to geopolitical developments since 2019 and supplement the Framework's international chapter. This Arctic Foreign Policy will provide new diplomatic tools for Canada to assert its sovereignty, advance its national interests through pragmatic diplomacy, strengthen its leadership on Arctic governance, and adopt an approach to Arctic diplomacy that is more inclusive of Indigenous and Northern partners' priorities.
Minister Blair spoke to partners about how Canada's defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free (ONSAF), renews Canada's commitment to the Arctic and the North, where changing physical and geopolitical landscapes are creating new security vulnerabilities. As ONSAF is implemented, National Defence will engage closely with territorial and Indigenous governments and northern communities whose homes and lifestyles are directly impacted by the evolving Arctic security environment. In defending the region, Canada will continue to work with these communities to ensure that they share in the economic benefits of defence investment.
Minister Fraser emphasized the Government of Canada's efforts to work alongside Northern and Indigenous partners to enhance infrastructure, build stronger communities, and create more sustainable housing solutions. By prioritizing innovative approaches to building and community development, we are helping to create resilient and inclusive northern and Indigenous communities, drive economic growth, and improve the quality of life for everyone in the region.
Minister Saks provided an update on the Government of Canada's support for Arctic and Northern communities' efforts to promote mental well-being and address mental health and substance use challenges. These efforts include initiatives like the Emergency Treatment Fund, which seeks to help municipalities and Indigenous communities address urgent needs related to the overdose crisis, and the Youth Mental Health Fund, which aims to support community health organizations whose work is crucial to ensuring that young people across Canada-including in the Arctic and the North-have access to culturally safe and trauma-informed services and supports where and when they need them.
Launched in 2019, the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework sets out a shared vision of the future where strong, self-reliant people and communities work together for a vibrant, prosperous, and sustainable Arctic and Northern Region at home and abroad. It guides the Government of Canada's priorities, activities, and investments in the Arctic to 2030 and beyond and better aligns Canada's national and international policy objectives with the priorities of Indigenous Peoples and everyone who lives across the Arctic and the North.
