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‘Extremely disappointed’: N.W.T. minister on dismissal of appeal of CN Rail decision
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-30 22:48:55.0
Tags: [National, Transportation, Infrastructure, Resources, Mining]The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the Northwest Territories government's appeal of a Canadian Transportation Agency decision, upholding CN Rail's choice to discontinue and not repair a 30-kilometre rail line between Enterprise and Hay River, N.W.T. CN Rail initially announced the discontinuation in May 2024 following wildfire damage in 2023, citing that repair costs outweighed customer demand. Northwest Territories Infrastructure Minister Vince McKay expressed disappointment, noting that losing the rail connection increases transportation costs, places more pressure on highways, and threatens northern supply chains supporting critical minerals projects.
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A ‘reset’ or ‘one and done’? First Nations and first ministers set to hold historic meeting
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-25 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Governance, Infrastructure, Resources, Mining]The Assembly of First Nations, led by National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, and Canadian first ministers are holding a historic, closed-door First Ministers' Meeting in Ottawa to redefine relations, discuss infrastructure, healthcare, and economic development, and address major project involvement. Notable absences include the premiers of Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec, while several Indigenous leaders have expressed skepticism over meeting formats, speech restrictions, and stalled federal Indigenous legislation under Prime Minister Mark Carney. The federal government, through the Privy Council Office and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, plans to announce new community supports during the one-day conference.
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New water treatment plant at Giant Mine site set for operation in spring 2027
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-19 23:52:03.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Mining, Environment, Resources]The Giant Mine Remediation Project announced that its new water treatment plant is scheduled to begin operations in spring 2027, replacing an obsolete system dating back to the 1980s. Built within a current $4.38 billion budget and forming part of an 18-year cleanup timeline ending in 2038, the state-of-the-art facility will reduce arsenic levels down to Health Canada's 10 parts per billion drinking water quality standard before discharging treated water directly into Yellowknife Bay. The project also features real-time sensors to halt discharges exceeding thresholds, alongside ongoing underground containment efforts utilizing thermosyphons to freeze 237,000 tonnes of toxic arsenic trioxide.
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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.
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First Nation opens work camp at Faro mine cleanup project in Yukon
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-18 20:54:45.0
Tags: [National, Mining, Environment, Indigenous, Infrastructure, Resources]The Dena Nezziddi Development Corporation, owned by the Ross River Dena Council, has opened the Tsē Zūl work camp at the abandoned Faro mine site in central Yukon to house workers for a massive federal remediation project. Located 200 kilometres northeast of Whitehorse, the facility is designed to accommodate nearly 300 workers and provide long-term revenue and employment opportunities for the First Nation. The Faro mine complex, which operated for nearly 30 years as a lead-zinc mine before its bankruptcy and abandonment in 1998, represents one of Canada's most complex industrial cleanup sites, expected to take decades to complete.
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N.W.T., Yukon mining and energy projects get boost at Canada Investment Summit
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-17 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Resources, Mining, Energy, Infrastructure]At the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto organized by Prime Minister Mark Carney, northern premiers pitched major mining and energy projects to international investors to help unlock new economic opportunities. Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson highlighted critical mineral assets including Honey Badger Silver's PC Silver Mine and Li-FT Power's Yellowknife Lithium Project. Yukon Premier Currie Dixon and Fireweed Metals President and CEO Ian Gibbs promoted regional mine developments—such as Kudz Ze Kayah, Mactung tungsten, Minto, Coffee Gold, and Casino—alongside energy infrastructure upgrades, while Nunavut Premier John Main sought funding for the Grays Bay Port and Road and the territory's first connection to the North American electric grid.
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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.
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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.
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Support wavers from pair of Akaitcho First Nations on major N.W.T. infrastructure projects
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-11 19:13:19.0
Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Energy, Indigenous, Mining, Resources]Two Akaitcho First Nations, Deninu Kųę́ First Nation and Łutsel K’e Dene First Nation, have expressed strong disapproval and suspended support for major Northwest Territories infrastructure initiatives, specifically the Taltson Hydro Expansion and the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor. Deninu Kųę́ First Nation stated its suspension will persist until the Government of the Northwest Territories formally recognizes its severe legacy impacts from the original 1965 Taltson generation facility built near Fort Resolution. Both First Nations cited a lack of meaningful consultation and failure to secure free, prior, and informed consent under Section 35 of the Constitution Act. In response, Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure Caroline Wawzonek maintained that the territorial government remains confident it can address outstanding concerns and continue discussions regarding land use, caribou habitats, and community benefits.
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N.W.T. looking to bolster critical minerals at Canada Investment Summit: Premier Simpson
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-11 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Mining, Resources, Infrastructure, Indigenous]Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland will pitch half-a-dozen resource projects at the invitation-only Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, organized by Prime Minister Mark Carney to target $1 trillion in investments over five years. The delegation will showcase advanced critical mineral, gold, and silver projects—including Honey Badger Silver's Prairie Creek mine (PC Silver), the NICO Mineral Reserves mine, the Yellowknife Lithium Project, the Nechalacho rare earth mine, and the Pine Point mine development project. Furthermore, the territory is highlighting enabling infrastructure such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Nunavut’s Grays Bay Road and Port Project to reduce transportation costs and facilitate ethical, sustainable resource development through regulatory co-management arrangements with Indigenous governments.
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N.W.T. looking to bolster critical minerals at Canada Investment Summit, says premier
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-11 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Mining, Resources, Infrastructure, Indigenous]Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Caitlin Cleveland are attending the invitation-only Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, organized by Prime Minister Mark Carney to target $1 trillion in federal investments. The N.W.T. delegation is pitching half-a-dozen advanced resource projects to global investors from the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including Honey Badger Silver's Prairie Creek mine (PC Silver), the NICO Mineral Reserves mine, the Yellowknife Lithium Project, the Nechalacho rare earth mine, and the Pine Point mine development project. Furthermore, the territory is highlighting enabling infrastructure initiatives—such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Nunavut's Grays Bay Road and Port Project connecting to the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor—alongside established Indigenous regulatory co-management frameworks to lower operational costs and attract sustainable development capital.
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