Photo: Ministers swoop in, hold conference, depart Iqaluit

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for northern development meet behind closed doors in Iqaluit, Sept. 13, as part of the annual Northern Development Ministers Forum, hosted this year by Nunavut’s economic development and transportation minister, Monica Ell-Kanayuk, under the theme “The North: Land of Opportunities.” Ministers said in a communiqué that they listened to presentations on food security and impact-benefit agreements between northern communities and the resource extraction industry. “We discussed ways of developing the North in a responsible fashion,” Ell-Kanayak said in a statement, adding she expects action on improving transportation infrastructure, such as roads, marine facilities and improved airports. The federal Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister, Carolyn Bennett, who attended the meeting, said tapping into the potential of Canada’s North is “essential to growing our economy.” (TWITTER PHOTO CAROLYN BENNETT)