(October 30, 2025 – Ottawa, ON) Nunavut Tunngavik and Inuit leadership are in Ottawa this week, calling on the Government of Canada to make Inuit-led infrastructure a national priority, essential to both Nunavut’s future and Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and security.
NTI Vice-President Paul Irngaut, joined by northern project partners, led discussions with federal leaders participated in a national panel hosted by the Pearson Centre. Their message is clear: Canada’s Arctic Strength is only as strong as Inuit security, mobility and self-reliance.
“We have an opportunity to build Canada together, in Nunavut,” said NTI Vice-President Irngaut. “Ports, clean water, fibre, roads; these are all lifelines for Inuit communities and the foundation of real Arctic Sovereignty.”
Together with the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik has outlined four Inuit-led, shovel ready projects that both benefit local wellbeing and Canada’s strategic presence in the Arctic.
• Qikiqtarjuaq Deep-Sea Port – will cut annual sealift costs, enable Nunavut’s fisheries, currently offloaded in Greenland, to thrive at home, and provide a critical refueling point for the Canadian Coast Guard along the Northwest Passage.
• Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project – will replace diesel with clean hydro power, stabilize energy costs, and create reliable options for distance learning, telehealth, and emergency and national security infrastructure in Nunavut’s Capital.
• Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link – Nunavut’s first physical connection to southern Canada, pairing renewable power from Manitoba with terrestrial fibre that will lower emissions, support telehealth and education, and enable new economic opportunities.
• Grays Bay Road and Port Corridor – will open up multi-user access to critical mineral belts vital for Canada’s clean energy transition and provide another refueling site along the Northwest Passage.
Each project strengthens northern communities, creates Inuit employment, and secures Canada’s Arctic mobility and presence.
Nunavut Tunngavik’s Infrastructure and Housing Advisory Committee continues to translate Inuit priorities into real projects, ranging from renewable micro-grids and training spaces, to the newly established Igluvut Corporation. These models demonstrate that when infrastructure is designed by Inuit, for Inuit, benefits can stay in the Territory, costs drop across the system, and longevity is attainable.
“There is no Canadian sovereignty without Inuit security,” said NTI Vice-President Paul Irngaut. “These four projects are foundational to a secure, sustainable Arctic, built in partnership with Inuit”
A Call to Canada
NTI is urging the Government of Canada to formalize partnerships and invest in these four Projects of National Interest, under the Building Canada Plan, with clear recommendations for federal infrastructure funding to:
• Centre Inuit ownership and long-term revenues to support local housing, training and services;
• Build in paid apprenticeships, and Article 23 hiring targets into every infrastructure package; and
• Fund full life-cycle operations and maintenance to ensure reliability for decades
“The cost of waiting is higher than the cost of building now,” said NTI Vice-President Irngaut. “By investing now, Canada will secure safer communities, stronger families and a more resilient Arctic for generations to come.”
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Media Contact:
Ivaluarjuk Merritt
Director of Communications
Nunavut Tunngavik
