TORONTO – Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today following her participation in investment meetings and events surrounding the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto:
“There is a different energy around the Northwest Territories right now, and you can feel it in the conversations we are having with investors, businesses and governments.
People are looking North.
Five NWT critical mineral projects were selected for the investment prospectus shared with global investors at this week’s Canada Investment Summit: the Nechalacho Basal Project, NICO Project, PC Silver Project, Yellowknife Lithium Project and Pine Point Project.
That is a strong reflection of the quality of the opportunities we have in the territory, but these five projects are only part of the story. There are other important mineral projects advancing across the NWT, alongside major infrastructure and energy opportunities that can help unlock the next generation of responsible resource development and investment.
Across the territory, those pieces are beginning to come together in a way we have not seen in a long time.
Projects like the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor and the Taltson Hydro Expansion are about much more than roads and power. They have the potential to unlock resources, lower costs, strengthen communities and create entirely new opportunities for investment and growth.
But what excites me most is not just the projects themselves. It is what they can mean for people.
More jobs. More training. More opportunities for Indigenous governments and Northern businesses. More opportunities for Northerners to build their futures here at home. More investment in our communities. And a stronger, more diverse economy that gives people confidence in the future of the territory.
The question is no longer whether there is opportunity in the North. The question is whether we are ready to capture it.
That is why we are doing the work now to build our workforce, support Northern businesses, work alongside Indigenous partners and project proponents, and make our regulatory system clearer and more efficient while maintaining the high standards Northerners expect.
We are also working to improve investment certainty by putting better information and better tools in the hands of explorers and investors. This week, Canada scanned the first drill core for the Canadian Digital Core Library, beginning with core samples from the Northwest Territories. By turning geological information into accessible digital data that can be analyzed using new technologies, we can reduce exploration risk, identify new opportunities and help attract investment in responsible mineral development.
And we continue to make the case in Ottawa for federal tax and investment tools that recognize the higher costs of exploration and project development in the North, so Northern projects can compete for capital on a more level playing field.
All of this is about making sure Northerners are positioned to benefit as investment grows. A stronger Northern economy also means more secure critical mineral supply chains, more infrastructure getting built and a stronger Canada.
For generations, people have talked about the potential of the North. We have an opportunity now to turn that potential into something real.
The future of the North is not something that will simply happen to us. We have the opportunity to shape it, and we are doing the work now to make sure the Northwest Territories is ready for what comes next.”
Related links:
For media requests, please contact:
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories
PressSecretary@gov.nt.ca