Bold moves signal Nunavut, Ottawa are looking past U.S.
As longtime partner becomes less reliable, Ottawa, GN and NTI show signs of working around neighbour to the south
Nunavut Premier John Main, centre, poses in Toronto Monday at the Canada Investment Summit, where financiers across the globe were invited to discuss investment opportunities with project proponents across Canada. Main is pictured, from left, with Jeff Maurice, vice-president of partnerships at Arctic Economic Development Corp.; Sean Leet, managing director of Arctic Economic Development Corp.; Michael McNair, president and CEO of Arctic Economic Development Corp.; Anne-Raphaëlle Audouin, CEO of Nukik Corp.; Paul Irngaut, vice-president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.; Brendan Bell, CEO of West Kitikmeot Resources Corp.; and Keith Drover, director of projects for Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project.
Nunavut’s premier is eyeing global investors. Its former premier’s gaze is fixed on Arctic nation-building projects instead of the Canada-U.S. relationship. And Canada’s prime minister is exploring the idea of the country being, at least symbolically, European.
More and more, everyone seems to be looking away from the United States as a dependable partner.
It was a busy week for both Canada and Nunavut. All of their bold moves signalled two things: how much of Canada’s economy involves building big infrastructure projects and how eager leaders are to work around U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. went to Toronto’s financial district Monday to woo potential investors for the big infrastructure projects planned for Nunavut.
The territory wants money to help build four projects: the Grays Bay road and port, the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, a hydroelectricity generator for Iqaluit and a deepsea port in Qikiqtarjuaq.
In a statement Wednesday, Premier John Main summed up his pitch: “Nunavut has so much to offer global investors as a territory rich in natural resources and a strong environmental framework for certainty.”
The Nunavut-led meeting coincided with the federal government’s first-ever Canada Investment Summit in Toronto.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is trying to attract $1 trillion dollars in investment over the next five years. (To put that in perspective, Canada’s gross domestic product — the value of all the goods and services produced in the country in a year — is about $2.5 trillion).
Building big things quickly has been a hallmark of Carney’s government since he became leader of the Liberal party in 2025. It’s his plan for strengthening the economy as Canada relies less on U.S. trade.
Even some officials who have been assigned to help navigate Canada’s thorny relationship with the U.S. are looking past the U.S.
Former Nunavut premier P.J. Akeeagok sits on the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations, a panel of 28 leaders tapped to advise the federal government on the bilateral relationship.
As Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian imports and Carney brought in counter-tariffs, council members like former Quebec premier Jean Charest and former Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt did media interviews about Canada’s changing relationship with the U.S.
But when a Nunatsiaq News reporter asked Akeeagok about his work with the council, he didn’t say much about tariffs or trade. Instead, he leaned into promoting the four nation-building projects in the Arctic.
Then, on Wednesday came news the European Union wants Canada to become its first “associate member,” a twist that wasn’t on anyone’s radar a week ago.
Carney hadn’t said much about it publicly, then — poof! — we woke up to discover we’re going to be European. Or, associate Europeans, whatever that means. No doubt it will become clearer in weeks ahead.
The speed at which EU membership came up says a lot about how quickly Europe and Canada are responding to Trump’s unpredictability.
As Canada aggressively broadens its options for trade partners and investors, things are moving fast. Going to Toronto to attract investors was a smart, bold move for the GN and NTI. There’s a lot of potential for Nunavut to benefit from that.
I have been noticing that the new NTI president has not been attending meetings have been only seeing the NTI vice president only what going on with her?
Maybe she’s just not that into photo ops.
There are plenty of public opportunities for her to be seen and accountable, during NTI’s broadcasted board meetings for example.
It’s refreshing to know that there are leaders out there that aren’t towing the old school old boys club party lines and glad handing everyone stroking egos.
To imagine the entire purpose of meetings like this revolves around a ‘photo op’ is the exact simplistic non-sense I read the NN comments for.
Google your question.
“Where is the new president of NTI and what has she done since being elected?”
A little research on your part would have answered your questionable comment.
“More and more, everyone…”
Good grief… No.
This read less like a news article and more like a rah-rah propaganda piece for the liberal party.
Thats because its not a news article, its an editorial…an opinion piece.
Reread your comment and ask yourself does this make any sense? Or when you just reread it did it sound stupid to you?
Premier John Main and Prime Minister Mark Carney both seem to be focued on colonialism 2.0 for Canada in general and Nunavut in particular.
How fast can we sell our natural resources?
How fast can we turn control of our businesses over to outsiders?
How fast can we take the money and run?
Years ago it was fish, then furs, then timber, then minerals, then grain.
Now its energy, logs, farm products, and minerals.
When you don’t have natural resources you don’t have value-added business and you don’t have jobs that add value.
When your businesses are owned by “investors” from elsewhere you don’t have innovation, new products, new services, and the opportunities that they offer.
Canada has lots of money.
Even some Nunavummiut have lots of money.
Where are the opportunities for
Both Canada and Nunavut are being run for the benefit of rich outsiders, with scraps for a few local “princes”.
Premiere Main grew up in Arviat Nunavut, speak fluent Inuktitut, he’s may not fully grasp Inuit condition but he has better understanding than the majority of European Canadians working in Nunavut.
How do you figure that?
Is Inuit employment relative to job availability in Nunavut going up?
Are the major corporations employing more Inuit?
Are more dividends being paid out to Inuit?
Is the education system doing better to prepare Inuit for the workforce?
Or does it just seem that way because he speaks Inuktitut?