Minister Wawzonek – First Nations Major Projects Coalition Conference, The Next Seven Generations

Press Release

It’s a pleasure to be here, and to be part of a conversation grounded in Indigenous leadership, partnership, infrastructure, and the future of the North.

When we talk about Arctic sovereignty, the conversation often starts with traditional military defence — military assets, surveillance, and geopolitics.
We are seeing this conversation shaped by a changing global security environment and evolving risks in the Arctic.

Those aspects of sovereignty and security are obviously important. But this cannot be the whole conversation.

For those of us who live and work in the North, and for many of the governments represented in this room, that’s not where the conversation begins.

It begins with people.
It begins with communities.

And it begins with whether we are creating the conditions for communities to be strong, connected, and able to thrive.

Because the reality is this:

The foundation of sovereignty is people — people who are tied to the land. Stronger sovereignty is far more than the act of planting a new flagpole on land, disconnected from the people connected to it.

If we continue to keep Canadians at the centre of our assertions of sovereignty, then the priority is not extending a runway for the sake of military aircraft or building corridors simply to connect Canada to its northern borders.

These pieces of core connective infrastructure serve people. They move people, move supplies to support communities, and establish the linkages and access through which people will see opportunities for new economic prosperity.

Our priority is, and must always be, people.

Presence underpins sovereignty.

We are increasing Arctic military security and protecting our country against the prospect of military aggression because we are protecting Canadians — and the ability we all have to engage in democracy, to assert our rights, and to pursue equitable access to healthy lives.

Roads, ports, airports, and energy interties are physical priorities that help deliver stronger sovereignty. But all of these things also serve people. It is important that we never forget that.

There is also a circular relationship here: it is for people that we must remain vigilant in the face of military and geopolitical threats to our country.

But even as large-scale projects advance, the more foundational aspects of what connects us all cannot be forgotten.

Housing.
Education.
Municipal infrastructure.
Access to healthcare.

These are not separate from Arctic security.

Because when communities are strong, when people are supported, when they have opportunity, and when infrastructure is in place — that ensures presence.

We are also in a moment where the national and global conversation about the Arctic is changing.

There is growing attention on the region — from governments, investors, and international partners, as well as less friendly interests.

We’re seeing increased focus on critical minerals, energy security, supply chains, and trade. All of these intersect in the North.

There is an abundance of unexplored, underexplored, and underdeveloped mineral potential across the North. But there remains a significant gap between this interest and the reality on the ground.

Across much of the North, foundational infrastructure is still missing.

In many regions, there are no all-season roads.
Energy systems remain isolated, unreliable, and expensive.

At the same time, many of the major infrastructure projects being discussed — including those that support military strength — are important because they create connections and opportunities for Northern communities and for Canada as a whole.

In today’s world, economic strength, infrastructure, and security are deeply connected.

So we find ourselves in a moment where projects we have long advocated for to support community well-being and economic opportunity are now also central to strengthening Canada’s presence, resilience, and long-term competitiveness in the Arctic.

With the Prime Minister’s recent announcement in Yellowknife, the Government of Canada acknowledged that building the North is central to Canada’s long-term security, economic strength, and sovereignty.

The decision to advance key northern, nation-building infrastructure projects through the Major Projects Office — alongside unprecedented national investment — signals a shift toward coordination, urgency, and delivery.

It reflects an understanding that these are not just regional priorities — they are national ones, and that the North will play a central role in Canada’s future.

But it is also clear that success will depend on what happens next — and on our ability to move from planning to execution.

Across the North, delivering major projects will involve Indigenous governments as landowners, project partners, and proponents.

Indigenous governments are already directly involved in creating and driving many of the key projects that now have the opportunity to strengthen national security.

That leadership is essential.

It brings clarity.
It brings stability.
And it ensures that development reflects the priorities of the people and communities at the heart of stronger sovereignty.

This approach is one of the North’s greatest strengths — and it’s an advantage Canada should be leaning into.

Prior to the referral to the Major Projects Office, we made the decision to pause and reset work on two key corridor projects: the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor and the Mackenzie Valley Highway.

We did so to undertake the heavy collaborative work with Indigenous governments.

We accepted proposals from the Tłı̨chǫ Government and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to review the routing of the corridor across their settled and traditional lands. We expect to land on a final route this spring that reflects shared priorities — including environmental stewardship, cultural respect for the land, and economic opportunity through improved access to mineral resources.

On the Mackenzie Valley Highway, we signed a detailed workplan with Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation that sets out a collaborative path to determine the best route through their traditional lands.

Did both projects experience delays? Technically, yes. But in the long term, absolutely not.

Both projects are now on a stronger, clearer path. They will have the support of the people whose lands are impacted, and they will ultimately be built in a better way.

These are deliberate decisions to make sure we get the routes right, the governance right, and the partnerships right before moving ahead.

Sometimes, building at a pace we’ve never seen before requires us to slow down first.

When we build these projects with Indigenous governments from the start, we move forward with the kind of certainty, credibility, and long-term confidence that allows us to actually get them built.

That’s how you build big things in the North — and that’s how you build them to last.

I want to conclude by returning to the point I made at the start:

When we talk about Arctic security today, we need to remember that it is about more than projects for the sake of projects.

Because investments in defence and military presence will only go so far if they are not matched by investments in the people and communities that make that presence — and that sovereignty — sustainable.

These are the foundations that allow people to remain in their communities, participate in the economy, and contribute to Canada’s long-term presence in the North.

Because sovereignty is not something that can simply be asserted.

It has to be built — intentionally and collaboratively.

In the North, we are building it through people, through partnerships, and through sustained, long-term investment in communities and infrastructure.

It’s now my pleasure to turn things over to our moderator, Captain Jonathan Davey of the Lower Cayuga, Six Nations of the Grand River, who will guide the discussion and introduce our speakers.

Captain Davey, over to you.

Thank you.

ILR5