Question Period Note: Northern Investments - Accomplishments

• Through Budget 2022, our Government is making investments needed to ensure that Canada’s Arctic and northern communities are safe and resilient.
• We have heard from northern partners what challenges persist and their priorities for action which include, infrastructure, economic development, and housing.
• New investments reflect those priorities and seek to address a number of issues, including reconciliation and climate change, among others.
• Budget 2022 included over $267 million in investments targeted to Canada’s Arctic and northern regions.

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If pressed on northern housing and infrastructure
• Our Government recognizes the importance of infrastructure and the challenges faced by Canada’s northern communities in accessing safe, adequate and affordable housing.
• Through Budget 2022, our government is proposing to invest $150 million over two years starting in 2022-23 to support affordable housing and infrastructure in the North:
o $60 million to the Government of Nunavut
o $60 million to the Government of the Northwest Territories
o $30 million to the Yukon Government
• This funding will advance pressing territorial housing and infrastructure needs immediately and complements a proposed $4 billion investment towards Indigenous housing needs.

If pressed on climate change adaptation and clean energy in northern and Indigenous communities

• Our government is working with Indigenous and northern communities to support adaptation to the impacts of climate change and to reduce reliance on diesel in the North by shifting to renewable sources of energy.

• Budget 2022 supports Indigenous leadership on climate action by providing $29.6 million to advance the co-development of an Indigenous Climate Leadership agenda.

• Budget 2022 also provided $32.2 million to the Atlin Hydro Expansion project which will provide clean electricity to the Yukon to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

If pressed on the Canadian High Arctic Research Station

• Budget 2022 provides $14.5 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, with targeted investments to close-out the construction of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), and to manage the ongoing operations of the facility.

• These investments will also ensure that CHARS has the right workforce to support the maintenance of this infrastructure, while supporting key economic and environmental priorities.

• As CHARS is integral to a healthier, more resilient future for the North, this funding will support scientific and knowledge creation activities, while improving economic and education outcomes for Inuit, and all Northerners.

If pressed on plastics pollution research under the Northern Contaminants Program

• Through Budget 2022, our Government is making over $183 million in investments to address the issue of plastic pollution.

• In the North, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will invest $5 million over five years to engage and support northerners and scientists in research and monitoring of plastic pollution in the North and Arctic, through the Northern Contaminants Program.

If pressed on the Giant Mine Apology and Compensation

• Our Government recognizes the great importance of addressing the legacy of Giant Mine and we remain committed to working with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in support of reconciliation.

• On August 13, 2021, the Government and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation signed the co-developed Collaborative Process Protocol Agreement.

• This Agreement guides how Canada and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation will work collaboratively to address the request for apology and compensation regarding the historical operation of the Giant Mine site.

• Budget 2022 provides $2 million over two years to support the Yellowknives Dene First Nation’s continued participation in the collaborative process.

If pressed on Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas

• Establishing an indefinite moratorium on new Arctic offshore oil and gas licences in federal waters was the right thing to do for Canada.

• Budget 2022 will allow for one-time payment of $25.8 million to the Government of Yukon and Government of the Northwest Territories to fulfill Canada’s commitment under the 1993 Canada-Yukon Oil and Gas Accord.

• $2.5 million is being set aside in Budget 2022 to support the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation’s participation in the implementation of a new Western Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Accord that is soon expected to be concluded.
If pressed on critical minerals

• Canada has an abundance of valuable critical mineral deposits which are central to major global industries including clean technology, health care, aerospace, and computing.

• Through Budget 2022, our Government will be investing up to $3.8 billion over eight years to implement Canada’s first Critical Minerals Strategy.

• In the North, this Strategy will include up to $40 million over eight years to support northern regulatory processes.

If pressed on Whole-of-government Budget 2022 investments.

• Given the unique challenges in the region, our ability to make meaningful progress for Arctic and northern communities requires a whole-of-government approach.

• In Budget 2022, substantial northern investments were made across federal portfolios:
o Climate change and climate change impacts;
o Closing housing gaps;
o Continental defence;
o Mental health and wellness; and
o Economic development.
By working together, are Government is supporting the shared vision of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework in which Canada’s northern and Arctic people are thriving, strong and safe.