Agnico Eagle chairperson calls on government to invest in business for Arctic sovereignty
Sean Boyd speaks to delegates at Nunavut Mining Symposium
Sean Boyd, chairperson of the board at Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., speaks at the Nunavut Mining Symposium Thursday in Iqaluit. (Photo by Daron Letts)
If Arctic sovereignty were a game of poker, Canada would be wise to up the ante by increasing support for exploration, says Sean Boyd, board chairperson of Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
That’s how Boyd framed the Arctic’s place in world politics during his keynote address Thursday at the Nunavut Mining Symposium in Iqaluit. His talk was titled, The Role of Mining in Arctic Sovereignty.
“As a strong sovereign country, we really never want to be in a position where we’re sitting across from a major world leader and he looks us in the eyes and he says, ‘You have no cards,’” Boyd said, evoking the metaphor for a negotiation favoured by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The North has some of Canada’s strongest cards.”
But realizing the North’s mineral potential requires collaboration between government and industry, he said.
“The opportunity is to play those cards right,” he said. “It’s the North’s moment to create more opportunity and to build stronger and more prosperous communities.”
When it comes to strengthening sovereignty in the North, Boyd said he looks beyond defence, toward raising economic development and infrastructure.
“We’re going to be able to play those cards right if we work together to uplift everyone,” he said. “It’s really more about focusing on strengthening the economy here and focusing on what people need, and that will give you your sovereignty.”
With China and Russia doubling down on their Arctic aspirations, the threats to Canadian sovereignty are genuine, Boyd said, adding the U.S. also poses a real threat.
“The desire of the United States to acquire Greenland — that’s real,” he said. “That’s just not President Trump talking, that’s real, and we add to that the U.S. president’s hostile attitude towards Canada. It makes it a necessity that we all invest more in the North.”
1st- get competition for cnd north- they have not enough aircraft and they control prices.
2nd – get other carriers beside can north for better schedules /flights and services overall
3rd- west jet and air Canada other carriers have enough aircraft to service the entire Nunavut territory meaning less reliance only on 1 airline , sovereignty issues can access the north with ease when the north is more accessible from all southern centres . what a dream…
Why do we keep hearing about road-building in the North? It’s not just the immense construction cost but the ongoing upkeep. Why not just clear a right of way and use hovercrafts? As used to be used to get from England to France before they built the tunnel. And for use in winter, put one or more snowblowers on the front, as for some trains in the western USA.
Truly, it’s the Inuit that hold the cards, not government or industry. People of the land, people of the environment, people that hunt and subsist on wildlife.
EEEERRRR, where do you live, in Nunavut, people hunt at Northern and Coop, and maybe go hunting on weekends,if they have the time and money.thats only a dream of the past.
True that.
I can’t find a Micky D or Pot shop without Google maps. Or KFC
I think smaller communities actually ‘live off the land’ more than the big city dwellers. Iqaluit’s loss.
Roads?
Where we’re going. We don’t need roads.
Like badges. “We don’t need no steenkin’ badges.”🤣✌️🤘
None of these comments have any word about getting government into mining, of course this person wants the government to invest more, it would be funding to these companies to line their pockets
Agnico eagle don’t even want to share agreement they make before the mine open. Offices in Nunavut too don’t even help those employees. And KIA not even trying to help even though I call them to check with agnico eagle mine in Rankin. And KIA president bankrupt our coop in arviat and these government and called workers with authority don’t see and hear what kivallimiut are trying to say. And Jeremy tungaaluk said when he goes to NTI president, he would work for mental health and still nothing when I tried to call to check what happen to this health worker.
Literally a two second google search and you’ll find the IIBAs on KIA’s website lol