Canada’s Arctic & the Circumpolar World

Canada is an Arctic, northern and circumpolar nation.

In a landscape of unending coastlines, high mountains, rock, ice, tundra and sub-arctic forest, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon represent Canada’s most distinctive communities, richest natural environment and most vulnerable ecosystems.

As Conservative Leader and Prime Minister of Canada, I would:

(i)             put northerners at the centre of all Canadian decision-making on Arctic, northern and circumpolar affairs;

(ii)           pursue the development of Canada’s Arctic and North on the basis of cooperation, while enlarging our diplomatic presence and commercial partnerships with all circumpolar regions;

(iii)          ensure all projects in the mining, energy and fishing sectors are clean, sustainable and of maximum benefit to local residents;

(iv)          ensure shipping and eco-tourism advance without damaging the environment;

(v)           enhance search and rescue capacity based in the Arctic and North;

(vi)          reinforce environmental, climate, pollution and wildlife science monitoring;

(vii)        launch a federal initiative in partnership with the private sector to renew, improve and expand the quality, affordability and range of housing stock available to northerns;

(viii)       recruit more northerners to all federal departments and agencies, and enhance career opportunities for them in all three territories;

(ix)          expand efforts to connect northern youth to stimulating training and career opportunities and, when and where necessary, to reduce levels of depression, addiction, violence and suicide in isolated communities; and

(x)           promote local entrepreneurship, tourism, hunting, trapping, harvesting and art, including by improving fiber optic connections and enhancing telecommunications in all three territories.