3 March 2018
February 28, 2018
Hon. Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
10 Wellington Street, North Tower
Gatineau, Québec K1A 0H4
Dear Minister Bennett,
Re: Northern Minerals Industry Submission on the Arctic Policy Framework
On behalf of the northern minerals industry, the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines is pleased to submit the attached northern mineral industry’s response to the Federal Government’s call for comments on the Arctic Policy Framework. Our Chamber represents the minerals industry, those companies that directly explore for and mine minerals, and the many associated businesses and individuals – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – that support, rely on, and make up the northern minerals industry.
We are pleased to provide responses to questions put forward by Canada to help guide the creation of a new Arctic Policy Framework and have provided additional information on the growing importance of our industry to Indigenous and non-Indigenous northerners and their governments.
While our industry faces significant challenges in the north, so too do all the people of the North. We suggest Canada take an innovative approach and formally declare the North a ‘special economic zone’ within which to focus more efforts to lift the North and its communities to increased economic and personal self-reliance, and to make it an even stronger contributor to the overall well-being of Canada. The North has tremendous potential to do just that.
Yours truly,
NWT & NUNAVUT CHAMBER OF MINES
Gary Vivian
President
c.c.: Hon. Bob McLeod, Premier of the Northwest Territories
Hon. Paul Quassa, Premier of Nunavut
Stephen van Dine, ADM North, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Arctic Policy Framework Secretariat