Building is half the battle
As North stands on precipice of a ‘generational’ infrastructure buildup, plans must be in place to maintain and operate it all
Prime Minister Mark Carney stands with Canadian Rangers in Iqaluit after a funding announcement in March 2025. Carney has announced billions in Arctic defence spending, which has the potential to transform the region. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
It’s been an exciting year for the North.
The region has been a focus for Prime Minister Mark Carney since taking office in March 2025, and he seems to have a plan.
We’re hearing about hubs and nodes and radar systems, but we’re also hearing about water and sewage upgrades, longer airstrips, airports and other infrastructure that’s necessary for military operations but also useful to communities.
The concept of what qualifies as dual use is being reimagined as well. This makes sense, as Canada’s NATO commitment results in a defence budget so large it’s hard to imagine what to even spend it on. The country met a two per cent pledge in 2025 of $81.1 billion. But we are promising to carve out five per cent of our GDP for defence by 2035, which more than doubles last year’s amount. Per year.
Canada and NATO have agreed to split the five per cent pledge so 3.5 per cent goes toward direct defence spending — jets and tanks and radars — while 1.5 per cent can be earmarked for dual-use projects. In 2035, that would work out to an estimated $60 billion per year.
It’s fun to imagine how $60 billion per year on housing, airports, power generation, sewage, water, roads and ports could transform the North.
But money can’t buy everything.
What good is a health centre if a malignant work culture leaves front-line staff traumatized? What good is a new water treatment plant if it’s impossible to recruit trained operators to run them? What good is a fixed water main if the territorial government can’t send staff to do the followup work required to lift a boil water advisory?
Federal leaders have touted their “generational” investment in the North. But this generational investment is only going to go so far without a parallel investment in generations.
Nunavut Premier John Main had a point when he said defence spending shouldn’t “fly in the face” of impoverished communities where education, health care and housing needs continue to fester. He continues to call for federal funding so Nunavummiut can have better access to health-care services — a drum he has beat for years.
In Arctic Bay, administrators are warning families that a lack of teachers could disrupt the upcoming school year. The community isn’t alone with its recruitment problems, according to Justin Matchett, president of the Nunavut Teachers’ Association.
In Naujaat, he said, there have been problems with teacher recruitment because of the housing crisis. Naujaat also happened to see materials for an eight-unit multiplex go up in flames this summer.
Nunavut Education Minister David Akeeagok, who grew up in Grise Fiord, said last year that he’s “one of the proudest Canadian flagpoles that we can be.” His hometown community of 140 people only exists because the Canadian government forced Inuit to relocate there in the 1950s in the name of Arctic sovereignty.
Nunatsiaq News talked to the residents of Grise Fiord ahead of the 2025 federal election. What did they say they wanted in exchange for their assigned flagpole duty?
A better quality of life, where a jar of pickles doesn’t cost $50 and a plane ride to Ottawa doesn’t cost $4,200. These concerns are surely at the heart of hiring and retention issues across the North.
We love to see ambitious spending in the territory. But it’s one thing to build communities. It’s entirely another thing to build them up.
Point well made in this article. There has been no lack of ink spilled over this in the last 25+ years. No lack of promises to start fixing what is broken. No lack of investments that have failed to be delivered. No lack of press conferences and photo-ops? No lack of talking head (doing little) politicians both at the Federal and Territorial level. No lack of Inuit Organizations (IOS) and Inuit owned companies taking money but not benefiting everyday Nunavummiut. So, when exactly will the real issues facing Nunavummiut start to be addressed profoundly and not cosmetically.
Is spending on Arctic defense an important issue? Sure. Is it the most critical to achieving better lives for Nunavummiut? NO! Besides, when one takes a look at what is taking place south of the Canadian Border. It is not that clear anymore that the Arctic is where we need to worry as much. What is sure is that Nunavut and Nunavummiut have way bigger fish to fry then Defense projects.
It’s great to see investment and buildup of the North. In fact, if it addresses key infrastructure elements like roads, water, services, etc.. then it is critical. But only if it actually improves the lives of those people who make Nunavut their home and the next generations to come. How does one ensure that exactly? Beyond the self-serving individuals we hear regularly talking about how, “Inuit must lead the way” etc, etc.. The question is profound and complex and throwing money at it will not fix the fundamental underlying issues that plague the territory. You cannot renovate your living room when your kitchen is on fire.
No one wants to talk about this. It seems they would rather pretend or deny or avoid. Here are just a few stunning statistics. Nunavut leads the Nation (per capita) in:
* Highest suicide rate (almost 8 times the National rate)
* Highest young person (12-25) suicide rate
* Highest school dropout rates (59% with High school or less)
* Highest rate of food insecurity at 56.4%
* Highest hunger rate amongst children (2 out of 3 children)
* Highest food prices
* Highest rate of people waiting for social housing (currently approx 3700 people).
* Highest domestic/family violence rate (60% higher than the next Territory/Province.
* Highest police-reported sexual offences
* Highest rate of reported illicit/substance use,
* Worst overall Health Care ranking
That list is deplorable and does not even begin to cover all aspects of general life. Hence one cannot just assume that “throwing money” at Defense initiatives/projects is going to be successful in addressing any of those issues. That “NEW” investment will certainly not benefit the undertrained, poorly equipped, lack of experience local work force. That “NEW” investment in the types of Infrastructure that will be required to ensure a greater level of Arctic Security will have to come from highly trained professionals from the south. That is just the current reality. It will do nothing to address the above-mentioned challenges.
Therefore, if the objective is to upgrade, improve, uplift and change the lives of Nunavummiut it will not and cannot come from defense spending initiatives/projects alone. It has to come from committed investment in grass root programs, policies and initiatives that address the issues that everyone knows exist but have simply wanted to put a band aid on for so many years. It takes LEADERSHIP! It takes strategically placed funding and collaboration at all levels of government and Inuit Organizations to address these fundamental social issues plaguing Nunavut. To date, it has been a miserable failure. Yet there are some out there who want to pretend otherwise. Politicians, and IOS leaders who have not the fortitude nor conviction to stand up and call a spade a spade and not a shovel. Who play politics and games. And all the while those who are benefiting greatly and some very specific Inuit owned business leaders will continue to talk about how “the future must be led by Inuit” because what they really mean is that ” it should benefit “A FEW”. Meaning “THEM!
So sure, bring on the spending for defense if the idea is to simply address a current perceived weakness and continue filling the pockets of those who need it the least while the majority of Nunavummiut spin around in a circle and try to get somewhere with the “sled before the snowmachine”.
Great points. We need recolonization. We are too corrupt. Now, graduates of highly watered down education system are becoming teachers, that means double watered down generation is upon us. Somehow, I don’t have the answers, but we desperately need to better our education system.
Inuit traditionally had next to nothing in terms of infrastructure, wealth, or possessions. Despite these material shortcomings, our traditional culture was rich, and we were able to live a life rich in relationship, meaning and personal reward.
This is an often repeated fact here in Nunavut. Even though people parrot these things, it is clear that our leaders and their hangers on have continually failed to glean any useful wisdom from things.
The lesson is this: the success of a society is not based on external factors such as access to resources or things. The success of a society is entirely based on manner in which people organize themselves, and the values and beliefs that the society holds.
Nunavut’s problems and solutions are not rooted in adding or taking one cent’s worth of money to our territory.
Nunavut’s problems and solutions are entirely based on us organizing ourselves differently, and following a different set of values and beliefs.
When we start to instill a proactive work ethic and not a passive victim mentality with our young people, we will take one giant step towards a more functional and successful society.
Unless you want to pay parents and older people in positions of authority and respect among young people to do this, this is simply a community choice with no cost implications.