Leaders reflect on Justin Trudeau's legacy in the North

Leaders across Canada's territories are reflecting on what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has meant to the North, following his announcement Monday that he will resign as prime minister once the Liberal Party selects a new leader. 

Trudeau, who became Liberal leader in 2013 and prime minister in the fall of 2015, made the announcement outside his official home in Ottawa Monday morning. 

Dennis Patterson, the former senator of Nunavut, says the announcement is one of significance for the North. He said Trudeau's biggest legacy is probably signing Nunavut's devolution agreement in early 2024. It transferred responsibilities for Crown land and natural resources from the federal government to the Nunavut government.

"It was a huge accomplishment and Justin Trudeau put it over the top after years and years of negotiation," he said. 

Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok mentioned that same agreement in a statement, saying Trudeau would always be remembered as one of its signatories. 

"Trudeau was always at home in the North and demonstrated a commitment to deepening relations with Inuit. I respect his decision to step aside and thank him for his service and dedication to Canada," Akeeagok wrote.

Patterson said other notable features of Trudeau's leadership have been the establishment of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee and the embattled carbon tax. 

As for what the future might hold, Patterson said if a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre is elected in the future, it might bring about more support for the development of Nunavut's natural resources and infrastructure that would make those projects viable. 

Patterson also said by holding on to office as long as he did, Trudeau has given whomever succeeds him in the Liberal Party very little time to rebrand. 

Respect from Yukon senator

Yukon Sen. Pat Duncan, who also once served as the territory's premier, said she respects Trudeau as someone who ran for office and she also appreciates his decision to step down. 

"Regardless of political stripe or their personality, I applaud all individuals who put their name on the ballot and seek the public's support to serve their country, the territory, their particular area," she said. 

She said she's also grateful that Parliament has been prorogued. 

Trudeau said he had met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and she had agreed to suspend Parliament until March 24 — something Duncan said was "much needed." Parliament had reached a point of stalemate, she said, which made it hard for the Senate to get work done.

As for the legacy Trudeau leaves behind, Duncan said that's something for history to judge. However, she hopes people don't forget some of the changes he brought about to the Senate, which she says have been "very beneficial" to the country.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai issued a statement Monday, thanking Trudeau for his leadership and wishing him well. Trudeau's "positive energy and progressive policies and leadership lifted millions of Canadian families out of poverty, led the fight against the existential threat of climate change, and navigated the challenges of COVID-19," Pillai wrote. 

N.W.T. First Nations leader hopes for 'solid' replacement

Herb Norwegian, the grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations in the N.W.T., said he had enjoyed working with Trudeau and hoped the best for him in the future. 

"I thought he may have gone out a little bit further in trying to resolve some of the outstanding claims," said Norwegian, referring, in part, to ongoing land-claim negotiations between the Dehcho First Nations and the territorial and federal governments. 

"I thought that he would be trying to bring it to some conclusion before the end of his tenure, so that's not the case now."

Norwegian said his relationship with Trudeau dates back to before he became Canada's leader. He said Trudeau "kind of" understood Indigenous rights, and that he tried his best to help a younger Trudeau understand those rights even more. 

Now, with a change in leadership inevitable, Norwegian hopes to have a cordial relationship with whomever comes next. He also hopes they are a "really solid" person who takes reconciliation seriously. 

"We're constantly explaining and clarifying what it is that we need and ... how we fit into this part of the country," he said. "The next person that comes around is going to have to really roll the sleeves up and really deal with the issue."

Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), said on Monday that Trudeau's leadership brought an "unprecedented time of access for Inuit," and a focus on reconciliation — something he hopes won't significantly change under Trudeau's successor. 

Obed said when there have been leadership changes at the federal level in the past, there would often be "huge swings in attitude" toward things such as Inuit rights, Inuit governance and implementing land claim agreements.

Still, Obed called Trudeau's announcement "bittersweet," and said the last few months have been difficult with the House of Commons in "gridlock."

"[Trudeau's] decision will hopefully allow for some semblance of normalcy to return once the proroguement is over," Obed said.

"We found that in the last three to four months, there just have been a lot of uncertainty about what finance will do, what the prime minister's office will do, what cabinet will do, on a number of the key items," he said.

"Our expectation is we'll just be able to continue to work, and perhaps less of the focus will be on the prime minister and more of the focus will be on the work, in the next little while."