Canada and NWT Allocate $45 Million for Indigenous Infrastructure and Arctic Economic Corridors

YELLOWKNIFE, NT — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) alongside the Government of the Northwest Territories announced $45 million in joint capital investments supporting four Indigenous-led economic development and transportation projects across the territory.

Unlocking All-Season Access and Northern Economic Sovereignty

The funding packages provide direct capital to the Tłı̨chǫ Government and Délı̨nę Got’įnę Government to advance engineering on the Arctic Economic and Security Transportation Corridor, constructing all-season gravel access roads, modular community cold-storage logistics facilities, and clean solar-diesel hybrid microgrids. The investments replace seasonal winter ice roads that have experienced shortened operating seasons due to warming permafrost conditions.

Federal and territorial ministers affirmed that Indigenous-led infrastructure is the foundation of northern economic prosperity, environmental reconciliation, and Arctic security.

Indigenous Leadership and Northern Contracting

Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty praised the government-to-government funding model, ensuring Indigenous corporations lead civil engineering contracting and environmental baseline studies.

Northern logistics operators noted that all-season roads lower the cost of living and fresh food transport in remote communities by 40%.

Engineering Milestones

Civil gravel grading on the initial 25-kilometer all-season road segment will begin in September 2026.