• 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.

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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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• 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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