Speech delivered by Premier R.J. Simpson for the Geoscience Forum on November 25, 2025.
 

Good morning. Mahsi cho for being here today.

The NWT is at the heart of Canada’s resource future. From critical minerals to world-class geology, this territory holds the materials, and the expertise that Canada needs to stay competitive in a rapidly changing global economy.

Natural resources are, and will remain, the backbone of the NWT economy, and for good reason. Not only do we have the greatest mineral potential in Canada, the NWT has some of the greatest mineral potential on the planet Resource development has helped generations of northerners provide for their families, and continues to be our strongest path toward long-term stability, prosperity and self-reliance. Responsible resource development is central to our economic future.

That’s why this event is so important.

Thank you to the Chamber of Mines and the GNWT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment for organizing the Geoscience Forum. Year after year, our partnership brings industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and governments together for what has grown into the largest mining and petroleum conference in the NWT.

The work shared at the Geoscience Forum – from new exploration, to environmental research, to community insights –  supports the decisions we make as a government. It helps guide land use planning, informs regulatory processes, and strengthens our understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Geoscience is a roadmap to our economic future; it’s the foundation of responsible resource development; it tells us where potential lies, how to protect our land and water, and how to build projects that create jobs and benefits for Northerners. The research, collaboration, and ideas that you share here this week inform how we work with Indigenous governments, industry, and communities to grow our economy and create lasting opportunities.

Right now, the world is looking for exactly what the North can provide. Global demand for critical minerals is surging, and Canada is counting on northern regions to provide the first-link in the supply chains that will be foundational to Canada’s industrial future and our country’s long-term prosperity.

The Government of the Northwest Territories understands that we need to do our part to capitalize on this opportunity and help propel Canada towards prosperity.

To this end, we are focusing on advancing critical mineral discoveries, increasing regulatory certainty, attracting new exploration, and building the infrastructure needed to lower the cost of doing business in the North. We aren’t doing this alone – we share stewardship of this land with the Indigenous peoples of the NWT, so we are undertaking these efforts collaboratively – ensuring Indigenous governments and Indigenous businesses are leaders and partners in every stage of development, from early exploration to ownership and operations. Ensuring there is Indigenous participation doesn’t create roadblocks – it accelerates projects; it’s how to get things done in the Northwest Territories

World-class mineral deposits are only part of our resource story. The NWT is also home to significant onshore and offshore oil and gas reserves that have the potential to support economic development and energy security for Northerners, for Canadians, and for our allies abroad.

When it comes to conventional, marketable resources, we’re home to hundreds of millions of barrels of oil, and tens of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas in the NWT. The estimates for unconventional and undiscovered reserves are astronomical.

Currently, there is a federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas is preventing offshore development and hindering onshore development. The moratorium means missed opportunities for northern jobs and territorial revenues, and it weakens Canada’s ability to position itself as a global energy superpower. The moratorium is set to expire in 2028, but we continue to press the federal government to lift it as soon as possible. Once lifted, Northerns will have a direct say in offshore oil and gas development through the Western Arctic-Tariuq (Tare-EE-uk) Accord. The Accord, signed in 2023, is an agreement between the Governments of Canada, NWT, Yukon, and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation which will ensure the people of the North are the primary beneficiaries of economic activity from oil and gas development in the region. I look forward to that day.

I’ve talked a lot about opportunity – that starts with what’s in the ground. Progress starts with how we connect to it. To advance Northern resource projects, we need the roads, energy systems, and connections that allow development to move from maps and models into real-world opportunities.

The resources are there. Canada and our allies need them. But how do we get to them?

That’s where the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor comes in.

This isn’t just an infrastructure idea. It’s a geoscience-driven, nation-building project. It’s an all-season road that would open up the Slave Geological Province, one of the most mineral-rich and geologically significant areas in the world, for new exploration and development. It would link that mineral potential to tidewater through the proposed Grays Bay Road and Port in Nunavut on the Northwest Passage.

Think of the Slave Geological Province like Ontario’s Ring of Fire — just with a less catchy name.

For a quarter century, diamond mines have operated in the region, supported by a winter road that costs $25 million to build every single year. And every spring, that road disappears. If an all-season road to the region was built when the diamond mines were being developed 30 years ago, or when Diefenbaker originally pushed for the road 60 years ago, the national conversation around critical minerals, sovereignty, and security would look very different today.  I don’t want to see another Premier up here in 30 years talking about what could have been, so we’re aggressively working to advance this project.

We refer to this as a Corridor because it’s envisioned as more than just a road. We envision the corridor have a tie in to another major project: the Taltson Hydro Expansion. The Taltson expansion would increase power generation at an existing facility, create redundancy by linking our two hydro grids, and lay the groundwork for a future transmission line running down the corridor. For decades, industry has said the same thing: build the corridor, and the investment will come. Today, we are closer than ever to achieving that goal. Why? One of the primary reasons is because we are working with the Indigenous peoples, communities and governments whose lands the projects will be built on. I’ll say it again, Indigenous participation accelerates development in the North.

In the western part of the territory, we’re making progress on another project that has been talked about for generations: the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Although it’s called a highway, it’s more of a narrow gravel road, but that doesn’t diminish its significance.

Phase One of the project is a 321-kilometre all-season road running parallel to the Mackenzie River from Wrigley to Norman Wells. Despite having no road access, the Norman Wells region has produced oil for over a century and connects to Alberta through a pipeline. Phase Two will extend the road another 400 kilometres north, linking to the Dempster Highway, the Mackenzie Delta and the Arctic Ocean.

This road will open up vast areas of Canada to new exploration, guided by the type of geoscience work showcased at this Forum. It will support responsible resource development and bring real benefits to communities: reliable all-season access, safer supply lines, and faster emergency response.

The Highway is progressing  because we are working in partnership with Indigenous governments. We have an MOU with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated outlining how we will work together to advance the project, and we recently signed a joint workplan with the Pehdzéh Ki First Nation to guide collaborative planning on potential routing options for the portion of the road that goes through their traditional homeland. Real progress is being made through real collaboration.

These three projects, considered together, represent the greatest expansion of resource development opportunities in Canada since the construction of the transcontinental railway.

This progress reflects our commitment to taking the discoveries and insights shared here this week and transforming them into real-world action, creating the conditions for investment, partnership, and long-term northern prosperity.

Nation-building in the North starts with understanding the land beneath our feet.

Geoscience is where that knowledge-building takes place. Every map, dataset, and presentation shared this week moves us closer to a future where the North is not only resource-rich, but opportunity-rich.

Turning that knowledge into action requires targeted investments in the infrastructure that unlocks access, supports exploration, and allows communities and industries to grow. The GNWT’s priorities – corridors like the Mackenzie Valley Highway, transformative energy projects like Taltson, and the work we’re doing to support critical mineral development – all depend on the geoscience shared here.

So let’s keep pushing forward. Let’s keep driving discovery, supporting innovation, and turning knowledge into action. Let’s define what responsible resource development looks like, not just for today, but for the future generations who will inherit the North we are working to build.

I’m optimistic about where we’re headed. Together, we are charting a future where the Northwest Territories leads in responsible resource development, in modern energy systems, and in northern-led innovation. Together, we can build a stronger, vibrant, and united North. A North that reflects our values, honours our partnerships, and creates opportunity for every community across this territory.

Mahsi cho. Thank you and enjoy the Forum.