N.W.T. leaders present unified front in meetings with federal government

A handful of N.W.T. leaders are in Ottawa this week to pitch the importance of the territory to the rest of the country. 

It's the first time members of the N.W.T. Council of Leaders have travelled to Ottawa as a single group. The council is made up of territorial government representatives, including the premier, and select Indigenous leaders. 

During a news conference Tuesday morning, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty explained the council developed several priorities for the trip. 

After years of flooding and wildfires, emergency planning was high up on the list. 

"Those are the top of the discussions that we're going to be having with the federal ministers," said Lafferty. "This is an area that we stand together from the Northwest Territories. We brought Indigenous leaders … to come to Ottawa and to be the voice of the North." 

Premier R.J. Simpson was once again asked whether he'd like to see the carbon tax removed. 

"If the higher costs were the solution to reducing greenhouse gas, the North would have been the first region in Canada to start using green technology," he said. "But the fact is that the technology isn't there right now. We don't have the ability to use things like heat pumps. And so the higher costs of the carbon tax are just higher costs." 

Still, he said he recognizes the effects of climate change on the North and that the territory is "continuing to do our part." 

Other topics the delegation wants to bring up include: infrastructure, transportation, housing, cost of living, development and conservation initiatives. 

Délı̨nę Got'ınę Government Ɂek'wahtı̨dǝ́ (Chief) Danny Gaudet highlighted the lack of barge service in the Sahtu region this summer due to low water levels. 

"That is driving the cost of living through the roof," he said. 

Indigenous, territorial and federal leaders all have to work together, he said, to improve housing, health care and implement modern treaties. 

Gaudet also spoke of his community's plan to develop a protected area around Great Bear Lake.

"We have significant critical minerals in our backyard, so we need to figure out a balance between conservation and also the development of these resources," he said. "It's hard to do when you do it alone." 

Simpson echoed that sentiment when speaking about some of the major infrastructure projects proposed in the territory, including the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Taltson Hydro expansion.

"What we would like is an approach that recognizes the North is small," he said. "We don't always have the capacity to advance these major — in some cases billion or multi-billion dollar projects — on our own. And we would really like a solution tailored for the North so that the federal government is able to work with us as partners.

"I'm hopeful that Ottawa will continue to be supportive and that we will see enhanced support in this upcoming budget." 

Simpson met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday. The delegation also has meetings set up with various federal ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

"It's good to have the people from the communities from the territory come here and explain to the federal ministers and officials what the North is like," said Simpson. 

Lafferty said the delegation would be giving an update once its meetings are done.