An NWT delegation was among nearly 2,500 people from roughly 70 countries gathered for the Arctic Circle Assembly from Oct. 8-10 in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital.
The three days entailed more than 700 speakers at close to 200 different sessions.
NWT Premier R.J. Simpson, who was in attendance, said the assembly focused on security/sovereignty, economic development and infrastructure issues.
“With growing international attention on the North, it was an important opportunity to bring a Northwest Territories perspective to the conversation,” he said.
Simpson said he spoke mainly about the NWT’s critical minerals development, energy industry and tourism.
On Oct. 8, Tlicho Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty joined the Icelandic assembly’s Business Forum Roundtable on Investments in the Canadian Northern Territories. He championed the Tlicho Government’s priorities of economic self-sufficiency, investment opportunities, workforce development, First Nations participation in Northern ownership and decision-making.
On Oct. 9, Simpson joined Lafferty and former Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok for a panel on infrastructure, partnership and sovereignty, moderated by Canadian actress Jennifer Spence.
During this panel, Simpson emphasized that “Arctic infrastructure is community infrastructure first.”
“Roads, reliable power, housing and essential services help people live, work and raise families in the North,” the premier stated. “They also create economic opportunities, strengthen supply chains and support Canada’s security and sovereignty.”
Lafferty raised the issues facing Tlicho communities, including housing, transportation, energy, communications and community infrastructure.
His perspective on Arctic sovereignty mirrored Simpson’s.
“For the Tlicho, building the Arctic means building strong communities, strong partnerships and a strong economy,” said Lafferty. “If we want a sovereign and secure Arctic, the people who live here and the Indigenous governments who represent them need to be partners in building that future.”
A Tlicho Government statement following the summit reiterated that those who call the North home need governments, resources and opportunities that enable them to thrive.
“For the Tlicho Nation, economic development must go beyond individual projects,” reads the news release. “It must create opportunities for citizens to develop skills, secure employment, grow businesses and participate directly in the Northern economy.”
Simpson said what stood out most to him about his time in Iceland was how much attention the world is giving to the Arctic right now.
“Countries are making decisions now about investment, infrastructure and security that will shape the region for decades to come,” he said. “Canada cannot afford to be left behind, and neither can the Northwest Territories.”
Other notable Northerners in attendance at the summit included Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed, Nunavut deputy premier George Hickes, Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce President Blair Hogan, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president Paul Irngaut and Canadian Arctic Ambassador Virginia Mearns.