Northern leaders anticipate federal help for infrastructure

It was a major plank in Justin Trudeau's election platform, and some northern mayors are ready to hold him to his commitments.

"I think this new government that's in place made promises about support to infrastructure, so now it's to make them accountable," said Linda Bussey, Yellowknife's deputy mayor.

Bussey and other northern politicians and business people have been talking infrastructure at the Opportunities North conference this week in Whitehorse. The annual event is hosted by the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Edmonton chambers of commerce.

Bussey said Yellowknife has at least one major project needing federal dollars — a pipeline to feed the city's new water treatment plant. That's estimated to cost about $20 million.

"Money is always going to be tight," Bussey said. "We always need money, we need [the Federation of Canadian Municipalities] to continue to lobby."

Whitehorse mayor Dan Curtis agrees that infrastructure continues to be a major concern for many northern communities.

"Our roads are in grave need of repair, as well as a lot of our infrastructure below the ground," Curtis said. "Every community in the Yukon is facing the same concerns."

"You know, we have neighbourhoods, like Hillcrest, that are long overdue to have some infrastructure dollars put in."