Northern Affairs minister Daniel Vandal visited Iqaluit on April 4 to meet with the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce and to highlight federal investments in renewables and critical minerals.
“Budget 2023 delivers crucial investments to build Canada’s economy, to fight climate change, to make life more affordable and to create new opportunities for Canadian businesses as well as Canadian workers,” said Vandal.
To achieve this, he said there will be more measures to incentivize investments in clean, affordable energy while providing jobs in the process.
“The plan we brought forward last week will mean big things for Nunavut, new instruments, cleaner air and water and new opportunities,” said Vandal.
“We also know the importance of meaningful consultation and engagement with Indigenous leaders as well as communities. That’s why the budget allocated more funding to the federal guidelines on the duty to consult, helping our commitment to economic reconciliation.”
A 15 per cent refundable tax credit for non-emitting electricity generation and transmission equipment between provinces is tailor-made for projects such as the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link.
“The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link is very important as well as the Iqaluit hydro electricity project. Both have been supported by the federal government in the past, specifically through CanNor (Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency) and Northern Affairs. There was a heavy emphasis on clean electricity and clean energy in Budget 2023.”
“We are going to work with the leadership in the Kivalliq. We think there’s tremendous potential there to create clean energy.”
Vandal also touted an additional $4 billion investment in the federal critical minerals strategy which Nunavut’s is going to be a part of.
“We do know Nunavut’s going to be very important for critical minerals in the future. We know critical minerals are absolutely essential as the world races to try and build clean energy mechanisms and systems.”
“We have $40 million of that dedicated toward working in northern regions on land use plans, assessments, (and) regulatory processes. Nunavut’s going to be front and centre in that whole process.
Vandal added that this upcoming May will be the 30th anniversary of the Nunavut Agreement.
“We’ve done big things together before and we will do them again.”