Nunavut, Newfoundland join hands in five-year alliance

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna and Paul Davis, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, inked a five-year memorandum of understanding in St. John’s, July 16, that will see the two jurisdictions work to grow each other’s social and economic sectors. (PETER TAPTUNA FACEBOOK PHOTO)

With so many shared business and cultural ties between the two jurisdictions, Nunavut and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador made a deal in St. John’s July 16 to scratch each other’s back for a while.

Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna and Paul Davis, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, signed a five-year memorandum of understanding July 16 that will see the province and territory share expertise and economic opportunities.

“This MOU formalizes Nunavut and Newfoundland’s strategic alliance and cooperation in this partnership, to promote responsible economic development,” said Taptuna, on the phone from St. John’s, where he is attending a meeting of provincial and territorial premiers.

“There’s no doubt about it. We have to grow our economies with our booming population growth and, of course, both jurisdictions share like-minded approaches to Arctic development in our northern Aboriginal communities.

“We want to do it in a sustainable way to mitigate environmental and social impacts, whether it’s fisheries, exploration of minerals and whatnot, there will be shared commitments.”

The two premiers acknowledged this week that they not only have much in common, socially and economically, but that they can benefit from streamlining business joint ventures, training and education opportunities, and natural resource development, to name some examples.

Nunavummiut are currently attending post-secondary institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Taptuna said, and he would like to encourage more students to attend Memorial University’s Fisheries and Marine Institute.

Taptuna said Davis wants to position his province as a kind of gateway to the Arctic and Nunavut can benefit from sending more people to Newfoundland to get trained in fisheries management, for example, as well as gaining expertise in areas such as oil and gas development and ice-breaking.

A memorandum of understanding is a like a shared playbook between jurisdictions which sets out a commitment to work together for common goals.

Nunavut currently has MOUs with Manitoba and Greenland, Taptuna said.

“This new formal alliance with the Government of Nunavut will build upon our long-standing history of collaboration and further cement our province’s position as the desired international location from which to base Arctic-related activities,” said Davis, in a July 16 news release.

“I commend the Government of Nunavut for their commitment to this partnership, which represents a positive step forward for both our jurisdictions.”

The news release said the MOU is timely, as both the province and territory prepare for “future development and increased economic activity in the Arctic.”

Taptuna said the MOU specifically addresses six areas on which the province and territory want to concentrate:

• natural resources;

• education and training;

• transportation and infrastructure;

• culture and tourism;

• research and development; and,

• health care.

“I’m quite happy about that. I look forward to working with Premier Davis,” said Taptuna. “He’s a premier that wants to get things done.”

The premiers are expected to wrap up their meetings in St. John’s Friday.

On July 15, the premiers committed their united support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 recommendations and said they will work toward implementing them on their own, without input from Ottawa, if necessary.