Simailak working on infrastructure proposal

Economic Development Minister David Simailak says he is working on an “investment proposal” to be presented to the federal government within the next few months that’s aimed at finding money to pay for badly needed roads and ports.

Simailak, who told NTI’s board of directors about the plan at their meeting in Baker Lake this week, said Nunavut is facing a “severe infrastructure challenge.”

At the same time, he said almost of all of the GN’s budget is spent on basic day-to-day services, with little left for infrastructure.

Simailak said the proposal would focus on “specific infrastructure needs” required by the mining industry, and would be aimed at encouraging exploration and development.