2 years on, the Nunavut government is still trying to get elder mobility vans on the road

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Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-30 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Seniors, Social Services, Infrastructure]

Two years after the Government of Nunavut spent $1 million purchasing five elder mobility vans for Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Pangnirtung, and Rankin Inlet, the vehicles remain parked and unused due to a failure to secure operational funding. The initial pilot project contract with the non-profit Northern Future Skills Development expired after the territorial government budgeted only for vehicle purchases and shipments without providing management funds. Premier John Main announced that the government has now approved $1.25 million in funding for the current year to establish an operational policy and seek new organizations to run the transportation service.

$463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exports

Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-21 21:29:02.0
Tags: [National, New Brunswick, Infrastructure, Transportation, Trade, Economy]

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced a $463 million infrastructure initiative called the Saint John Trade Corridor, marking the first project funded through the federal Trade Diversification Corridors Fund. The federal government is contributing $254 million, the Government of New Brunswick is providing $116.5 million, and project delivery partners are supplying the remaining $92.5 million. Key components of the project include dredging the main channel at Port Saint John to allow two-way traffic at high tide, constructing a new 2,787-square-metre Canada Border Services Agency container examination facility, stabilizing shorelines to protect rail capacity at the NBSR Bayshore Rail Terminal, replacing over 100 kilometres of existing rail, and reconstructing the Simms Corner intersection to alleviate congestion and improve safety.

Downtown Whitehorse draft trail plan includes Yukon River bridge crossings

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-20 20:34:43.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Municipal]

The City of Whitehorse, in conjunction with landscape architectural firm Lees+Associates, has presented a draft downtown trail plan featuring two potential Yukon River bridge crossings to improve active transportation and connectivity. One conceptual bridge is proposed near Main Street to connect the waterfront trail to Wickstrom Road near the hospital, while a second multimodal bridge is planned at the northern end of Industrial Road. City officials noted that constructing a single active transportation bridge would cost upwards of $30 million, requiring significant federal capital funding. Additionally, the plan addresses the rehabilitation of the airport trail damaged by landslides, with the City of Whitehorse and the Yukon Government coordinating escarpment stabilization and upper-trail restoration efforts.

N.W.T. RCMP riding high in new twin-engine jet

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-09 23:08:07.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Public Safety]

The Northwest Territories RCMP G Division unveiled a new $21.5-million Pilatus PC-24 twin-engine jet in Yellowknife, replacing its single-engine PC-12 aircraft following a 2023 crash in Whitehorse. The aircraft can land on gravel, ice, and snow runways, operating at altitudes up to 45,000 feet to avoid severe weather and cutting travel times to remote communities nearly in half. Featuring eight seats—double the capacity of the previous model—and a side cargo hatch, the jet will primarily transport RCMP officers, prisoners, and cargo across northern jurisdictions.

Immigration, high-speed rail and Bill 21: Where new PQ government could test Ottawa

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Quebec, Immigration, Infrastructure, Transportation, Justice, Finance, Governance]

Following the Parti Québécois' provincial election victory, Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon faces key policy friction points with Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government. The PQ intends to seek full provincial control over immigration to reduce permanent immigrants to 35,000 and halve temporary immigration quotas, oppose the federal high-speed rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City via Montreal, and seek $4.4 billion in additional federal transfers. Additionally, the new government plans to challenge federal authority by taking steps to abolish the monarchy in Quebec and cut funding to the lieutenant-governor's office, while awaiting a crucial Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Bill 21.

Long-awaited small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, expected to open in 2030

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 20:53:15.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Fisheries, Indigenous]

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout announced a $77-million federal investment for the construction of a small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, as part of a $106-million commitment made by the federal government in 2024. The construction contract has been awarded to Iqaluit-based Pilitak Enterprises Ltd., featuring an Inuit benefits plan to support local training and employment. The infrastructure will include a breakwater, launch ramp, fixed wharf, floating wharves, and dredged harbour basin and entrance channel to support commercial fishing, marine transportation, tourism, and hunters. Construction is slated to continue through 2029, with the harbour expected to become fully operational for the 2030 open water season.

N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]

Representing the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, and other regional leaders met in Ottawa to demand federal investments in major northern infrastructure. The proposed initiatives include the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometer Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. These investments are framed as vital economic replacements following the closures of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines in 2026, alongside the upcoming closure of the Gahcho Kué mine in 2028. Territorial officials emphasized that these projects must proceed through co-management and shared decision-making to address both economic transition and severe community challenges such as high living costs and housing shortages.

N.W.T. leaders press Ottawa for major projects investment

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-06 18:47:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Energy, Mining, Indigenous]

The Northwest Territories Council of Leaders, led by Premier R.J. Simpson, Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, and N.W.T. Métis Nation President Garry Bailey, pressed federal ministers in Ottawa for major infrastructure investments as the territory faces the closure of major diamond mines like Ekati, Diavik, and Gahcho Kué. The delegation urged federal funding for Indigenous-led and co-managed projects, including the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, the 800-kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway extension to Inuvik, the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and the Inuvialuit Energy Security Program. Territorial officials highlighted that historical underfunding and high operating costs leave local governments strained in delivering essential services across 33 communities while trying to pivot their economy.

Nisutlin Bay Bridge replacement to be completed in late 2028, Yukon gov’t says

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-02 22:00:59.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation]

The Yukon government announced that the Nisutlin Bay Bridge replacement project near Teslin, Yukon, is now slated for completion in late 2028, nearly six years after construction began. Construction was paused in 2025 due to soil instability and geotechnical concerns, prompting the territory to terminate contracts with previous firms and hire new engineers under a $5-million contract in June 2026. The project is currently in the design and procurement phase under the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works, with a tender for remaining construction expected this winter and work resuming next spring. A separate tender is scheduled for the summer of 2029 to demolish the original 1953 truss bridge.

Alto high-speed rail project could cost more than originally thought: budget watchdog

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-01 14:34:52.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Infrastructure, Transportation, Transit, Finance]

A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) indicates that the proposed Alto high-speed rail project connecting Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal could cost between $75 billion and $113 billion, higher than official initial estimates of $60 billion to $90 billion. The Crown corporation Alto is overseeing the corridor project, with cost drivers primarily attributed to tunnels and elevated structures, which add $169 million and $153 million per kilometre respectively. The PBO estimates the construction will provide modest economic stimulus, raising real GDP by approximately $1.8 billion in 2029 and $2 billion by 2033 while creating between 4,300 and 9,000 jobs. Federal legislation such as Bill C-5 (the One Canadian Economy Act) may help mitigate project risks, land acquisition hurdles, and permitting delays.

Canada’s airports saw record improvements in delays, NAV Canada says

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 15:26:44.0
Tags: [National, British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Governance]

NAV Canada reported that the number of scheduled flights impacted by delays across Canada's four major airports—Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver International Airports—fell by 85 per cent from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. Specifically, delayed flights dropped from 4,996 (1.54 per cent) in 2025 to 769 (0.24 per cent) in 2026, while total flight volume across the four hubs increased by 0.9 per cent to handle 394,919 flights. Vancouver recorded the sharpest improvement with delays dropping from 4.42 per cent to 0.64 per cent, Toronto Pearson had the lowest share of delayed flights at 0.04 per cent, Calgary dropped to 0.05 per cent, and Montréal-Trudeau dropped to 0.28 per cent. Additionally, NAV Canada noted that national air traffic controller staffing shortages narrowed from a deficit of 200 staff in the spring to 170 by August. Concurrently, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government is moving ahead with plans to attract private investment in Canada's four largest airports under a model where the federal government retains ownership of underlying land and assets.

Feds disclose more details on Trump admin request to delay Gordie Howe bridge opening

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-25 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Infrastructure, Transportation, Trade, Governance]

The Canadian federal government and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority disclosed additional details regarding a United States administrative request made on or about June 10, 2026, to delay the opening of the $6.4-billion Gordie Howe International Bridge over technical issues relating to its governance and financial framework. Conservative MP Harb Gill criticized the federal disclosures as insufficient, noting that while project costs increased from $5.7 billion in 2018 to $6.4 billion in 2024, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority declined to provide a detailed accounting of construction change orders due to time constraints and the risk of releasing misleading data. The 2.5-kilometer span ultimately opened on July 27, 2026, following contract amendments and a bilateral agreement that established a revenue-sharing arrangement and toll rate regulations with the United States.

C-39 (45-1) - Building Canada Strong Act

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-09-21 15:17:00.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Infrastructure, Transportation, Governance]

Bill C-39, titled the Building Canada Strong Act during the 45th Parliament (1st Session), was introduced and read for the first time in the House of Commons on September 21, 2026. Sponsored by the Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the House Government Bill is designed to enact measures aimed at strengthening the Canadian economy. Currently, the legislation is at the second reading stage in the House of Commons, with no recorded votes, major speeches, or legislative summaries published by the Library of Parliament thus far.

Alaska port gets 1st funds from Yukon mine to study options for shipping critical minerals

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-21 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Mining, Resources, Infrastructure, Transportation, Trade]

Selkirk Copper Mines Inc., controlled by the Selkirk First Nation, has provided $200,000 US to the Municipality of Skagway, Alaska, to finance a scoping study for shipping critical mineral concentrates through the Port of Skagway. The study aims to evaluate modern, environmentally responsible shipping methods for bulk mineral concentrates from the former Minto copper-gold-silver mine, which has been inactive since 2023 and is targeting a restart in 2028. The Port of Skagway previously secured $38.6 million US in federal grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s port infrastructure development program to build a modern industrial dock.

Nunavut pitches major infrastructure projects at Canada’s Investment Summit

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-16 17:29:31.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Energy, Transportation, Resources, Indigenous]

Nunavut Premier John Main and Inuit leaders, including representatives from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, attended Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Canada Investment Summit in Toronto to pitch four major territorial infrastructure projects. The proposed projects include the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project, the Grays Bay Road and Port, and the Qikiqtarjuaq Deep-Sea Port. Notably, the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project and the Grays Bay Road and Port have been designated as projects of national interest and placed on the federal government's Major Projects Office fast-track list. Territorial leaders emphasized the necessity of early Inuit involvement and regulatory compliance to address Nunavut's significant infrastructure gap in energy and transportation.

Canada seeks ‘private investment’ in airports but feds to keep land, assets

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-15 13:15:27.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Economy, Finance]

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government will seek private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada's four largest airports. Under this new model, the federal government will retain ownership of the underlying land and assets while aiming to bring in new capital and operational expertise. The initiative is designed to unlock the economic value and growth potential of the nation's primary aviation hubs.

Carney says government to open up Canada's 4 largest airports to private investment

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-15 12:49:55.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Economy, Finance]

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government will open Canada's four largest airports—Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Montreal's Trudeau International Airport, and Calgary International Airport—to private investment through long-term operating concessions. While Ottawa will maintain ultimate ownership of the underlying land and assets, the government aims to unlock capital and operational expertise to reinvest billions of dollars into future public infrastructure. The initiative follows prior signaling in the federal budget and spring economic update, utilizing events like the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto to engage major global investors and pension funds.

Carney delivers remarks at investment summit as Liberals discuss airport privatization

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-15 12:31:10.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Economy, Finance, Trade, Infrastructure, Transportation]

Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto to attract $1 trillion in investments over the next five years, featuring a 66-page prospectus containing 167 projects. During the summit, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. announced a new $50 billion fund for large-scale investments structured on a 50-50 basis with up to $25 billion in equity capital from each organization. Additionally, Carney confirmed that the federal government is pursuing private investment and long-term concessions to operate Canada's four largest airports while keeping the underlying land and assets. These developments coincided with the implementation of new 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on select Canadian goods and protests organized by The Many vs. The Money coalition.

N.W.T.’s ice road to 3 diamond mines unlikely to open for 2027 season

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-14 23:13:23.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Mining, Resources, Indigenous]

The Northwest Territories' Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road is unlikely to open for the 2027 operating season for the first time since opening in 1982, due to the end of commercial production and financial restructuring at three major diamond mines: Rio Tinto-owned Diavik, Ekati (overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers under creditor protection), and De Beers' Gahcho Kué. Management committee director Howard Nowell stated that the closure decision provides early clarity for contractors, service providers, and support communities, though operations are expected to resume in 2028 to support ongoing site remediation and clean-up efforts. Marc Whitford, president of the North Slave Métis Alliance, noted the suspension will negatively impact Indigenous-owned corporations and contractors such as Det'on Cho Logistics, which rely on the winter infrastructure for seasonal employment and transport.

N.W.T.’s ice road to 3 diamond mines unlikely to open for 2027 season

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-14 23:13:23.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Transportation, Mining, Resources, Indigenous]

The Northwest Territories’ Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road is unlikely to open for the 2027 operational season, marking the first closure since the ice road opened in 1982. Operated annually from February to March, the road services three diamond mines northeast of Yellowknife: the Rio Tinto-owned Diavik mine, the Ekati mine overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers under creditor protection, and De Beers' Gahcho Kué mine. The suspension is driven by the end of commercial production and active remediation at Diavik and Ekati, alongside financial difficulties at Gahcho Kué that accelerated its closure timeline to 2028. Indigenous corporations and contractors such as Det'on Cho Logistics, owned by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, face significant economic impacts from the loss of infrastructure maintenance and lodge operations, though winter road service is expected to tentatively return in 2028 to support ongoing cleanup efforts.