Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a significant investment into infrastructure and defense projects in Canada’s North.

The plan is backed by over $40 billion, including more than $35 billion in federal investments and major projects that represent around $10 billion in investment.

Canada’s government is referring multiple projects to the Major Projects Office.

The 800 kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway will provide essential year-round access to Indigenous and remote communities in the Mackenzie Valley, building on an initial federal investment of over $100 million. It will connect Yellowknife to Inuvik, and open up commercial opportunities along the route.

The Grays Bay Road and Port and the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor will connect Nunavut to the national highway system via the Northwest Territories and become Canada’s first overland connection to a deepwater port on the Arctic Ocean.

Together, these projects will connect strategic mineral deposits to national road networks and tidewater – linking Canada’s North to new global markets and ensuring reliable access to Canadian minerals.

The Grays Bay Road and Port is a proposed all-season road of approximately 230 km from the Nunavut border to a deepwater port and airfield at Grays Bay, on the strategic Arctic Ocean. The project includes a deepwater export terminal for minerals and an airstrip, which will both have dual-use civilian and military potential.

The Arctic Economic and Security Corridor project is a proposed all-season road of approximately 400 km through the Slave Geological Province to the Nunavut border, where it will connect with the Grays Bay Road. Collectively, these projects will build the infrastructure required to advance potential copper, gold, and zinc mining projects, and support increased mining exploration activity.

Finally, the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project will add 60 megawatts to the existing hydro system, doubling the Northwest Territories’ hydro capacity and serving 70 per cent of residents.

In addition to these major projects, the Canadian government is Investing $32 billion at Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Iqaluit, and at Deployed Operating Base 5 Wing Goose Bay. This includes infrastructure upgrades such as airfield upgrades; new or repurposed hangars; ammunition and fuel facilities; and buildings and equipment for accommodations, warehousing, IT and general support.

The government is also announcing two new Northern Operational Support Hubs (NOSHs) at Whitehorse and Resolute, and two new Northern Operational Support Nodes (NOSNs) at Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet. These are backed by an investment of $2.67 billion.

This network will enable the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy rapidly and support year-round response across the Arctic and North, no matter how remote.

An investment of $294 million in Arctic airports will include building a runway overlay and modernizing Rankin Inlet Airport and upgrading Inuvik Airport. This will ensure larger aircraft can land, connecting Northern communities to the rest of the country year-round.

“Through the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, we will work with Indigenous Peoples, governments, and industry proponents to build the dual-use airports, seaports, and all-season corridors essential to reinforcing Canada’s supply chain resilience and opening new gateways to the world,” said Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Canadian Rental Service

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