Report points to potential
Special representative sees opportunities in communities
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, May 15, 2017
OTTAWA
Canada's ministerial special representative for Arctic leadership is cautiously optimistic that her recently released report will not end up of a shelf gathering dust.
Mary Simon's report, A New Shared Arctic Leadership Model, was released late last month. In it, she calls for new strategies on education, climate change, renewable energy, land-use planning strategies, marine conservation and indigenous protected areas, among other Northern issues.
"The main thrust of my report is realizing the potential of our communities. We can, in spite of all the difficulties we have, start to build sustainable healthy communities," Simon said.
Since last August, Simon and her team have held some 65 meetings across the North with almost 200 participants and dozens of written submissions. The result is a set of 40 recommendations.
The report considers education critical.
"If we can get an education system up and running that embraces a high academic standard in terms of getting a high school diploma as well as embracing culture and language and using a mother tongue as a language of instruction," she said. "If we do that, a lot more children would graduate."
Simon said early childhood development also has to be a priority area, with more funding needed for culturally relevant daycare specifically. She is also calling for an stand-alone, Arctic-based university.
Climate change continues to shape life dramatically in the North, she said, adding that it not only threatens traditional hunting grounds, but it also continues to leave Arctic communities dependent on fossil fuels.
"The consequence of this dependency is a sometimes erratic supply of electricity ... no options for residents and businesses to lower energy costs ... and ultimately conditions that stall economic development," Simon stated in a news release. "The Government of Canada can continue to contribute positively to find solutions for fossil fuel replacements and energy efficiencies. To that end Simon is calling on the feds to partner with territorial governments and indigenous organizations to develop policy and support opportunities for local businesses."
Nunavut Premier Peter Tuptuna welcomed Simon's report in an April 27 news release. He pointed out that some areas touched on in the report have already been addressed by his government.
"Nunavut has a robust regulatory framework when it comes to resource development, wildlife protection, and conservation. Under the Nunavut Agreement, federal and territorial regulators already balance development and conservation in our territory. In Nunavut, the concept behind the creation of indigenous protected areas is already in place, and this recommendation may be redundant within the territory," Taptuna stated.
"An overarching theme of the report is that the Arctic infrastructure deficit -the shortage of housing, lack of roads and commercial ports, antiquated Internet and cell services -hinders development and the prosperity of Northerners. Basic services that the rest of Canadians take for granted are nearly non-existent in many Northern and Nunavut communities," he stated.
World Wildlife Fund-Canada president and CEO David Miller stated in a news release that the report is a strong road map for what is needed.
"The vision for the North captured in this report, with a healthy educated population participating in a truly sustainable economy on a backbone of conservation is one that the government should embrace with a robust, well-funded implementation plan," Miller stated. "Canada's North is a place where we still have the opportunity to get it right and this report provides the path."
"We are not asking for things that are out of the ordinary. We are asking for things that other Canadians take for granted," Simon said.
