Transcript Oct 14, 2010 On the Front Lines of Canada’s Northern Strategy Northern Economic and Sovereignty Infrastructure Conference Iqaluit, Nunavut Shannon A.

Oct 14, 2010
On the Front Lines
of Canada’s
Northern Strategy
Northern Economic and Sovereignty
Infrastructure Conference
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Shannon A. Joseph, Policy Advisor
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Outline
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Setting the context
National politics and the North
Northern municipal governments
Northern communities and national
defence
• Lessons from other countries
• Towards a new northern vision
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Setting the Context
• History of short-lived
periods of interest and
ad-hoc investments
driven by the South
• Perceived as empty:
– 100,000+ people
– $7 billion in GDP
– Rich social and cultural
histories
• Significant resource
wealth of domestic and
international interest
Setting the Context
• Continual inability to bring living standards in
northern communities in line with the rest of
Canada
• High cost of living, limited access to higher
education, gaps in basic public infrastructure,
etc.
• Health indicators: Northern Canadians still face
– Lower life expectancy
– Increased child mortality
– Higher incidence of non-communicable illness
Setting the Context
North in National Politics
• Development and integration of the
North are a national priority
• Multi-party support to:
– Responding to aboriginal aspirations
– Resolving land claims issues
– Enabling economic activities in the region
• Key document for the current policy
environment is the Northern Strategy
North in National Politics
• Key outcomes
• Approach
– Vital communities
– Respect for the
environment
– Cooperation between
orders of government
– Enhanced Canadian
presence on the land, sea
and sky of the Arctic
– Maintain a strong
military presence
– Enhance stewardship
through regulations
– Advance the
geographic and
geological knowledge
of the region
North in National Politics
• Northern Strategy –
missing elements:
– Inclusion of the
provincial north
– Long-term coordinated
commitment between
military needs and local
communities
– Inclusion of a long-term
clear plan for renewal of
core public infrastructure
Municipalities in the North
• Meet day-to-day needs of
their communities
• Provide vital support for
local commercial, military
and scientific endeavours
• Maintain and operate almost
all basic local services and
infrastructure (airfields,
roads, water and sanitation,
even health and housing)
Municipal Challenges
• Canada
• North
– Infrastructure deficit of
$123 billion
– Limited sources of
revenue
– Infrastructure deficit
exacerbated by climate
change
– Most communities do
not collect tax
• 8 cents of every tax dollar
paid in Canada
• Property tax and service
fees
• Ex: 1 out of 25
municipalities has its
own tax base.
• Government dependent
– Small populations
– Isolation and remoteness
Northern Communities and
National Defence
• WWII
– Alaska HWY
– Northwest Staging
route airfields
• Cold War
– Continental radar
system (DEW-line,
Pine-tree line)
– Building boom from
Labrador to Yukon
Lessons from Other Countries
• Alaska
– Anchorage and
Fairbanks
– University of Alaska
• Australian outback
– Stabilized regional
economy
– High level of
infrastructure
• Pacific Islands
– Key infrastructure on
hundreds of islands
Lessons from Other Countries
• Presence of the military has an impact on life in
remote regions
– Underpin economic development
– Improve local infrastructure
– Foundation for stabilization and growth
• The most important investments allow for the
flow of people, goods and information into the
region
• Sustained military investment can have an
economic multiplier effect leading to flow-on
citizen, private sector and government
commitments
The New North
• Major environmental change
• New resource potential (oil, gas and
minerals)
• Settlement of land claims and
empowerment of aboriginal communities
• Increasing international circumpolar
initiatives (Inuit Circumpolar Conference)
• Remilitarization of the Arctic
A New Northern Vision
• Recommendations
– Develop a long-term plan to invest in
Northern infrastructure
– Make Canada’s North the world leader in
climate change adaptation
– Use smart military investments as the
backbone for building the New North
• Make partnership official policy
• Information technology – connect the region
to the world (e-education, remote work, etc.)
A New Northern Vision
• Other recommendations
– Include the provincial North
– Build northern scientific capacity
• Modeled on University of the Arctic
– Build northern intellectual and professional
capacity
• Create training opportunities for northerners
– Build a stronger civil society
– Introduce new Canadians to the North
– Promote northern region collaboration
A New Northern Vision
Northern sovereignty depends on the presence of
thriving communities
Shannon A. Joseph
Policy Advisor
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
613-907-6265
[email protected]