INUVIK
Jordan Peterson is a man on a mission.

Jordan Peterson, left, meets with former prime minister Joe Clark during a visit to Ottawa earlier this month as a Jane Glassco Fellow. - photo courtesy of The Gordon Foundation

One of the Jane Glassco Fellows chosen by the Walter and Duncan Gordon Charitable Foundation, he was in Ottawa during the week of Feb. 4 meeting ministers and learning about policy crafting, all to bring that expertise home to the North.

"It feels great to be here," he told the Drum. "It's an honour to look at what type of possibilities my research and the program can bring to others in the region."

Peterson, originally from Aklavik on break from his job as a community development officer with the with the Gwich'in Tribal Council in Inuvik, joined fellow Northerners from across the territories in the nation's capital, each focusing on a particular area. For Peterson, it's sustainable economic development, a cause near his heart.

"I see a lot of systemic problems in small communities when it comes to opportunities," he said, adding he wants to see his research strengthen communities and make them healthier.

While he will hammer out a proper thesis in the next few weeks, the general theme will be the use of technology and the opportunities it can bring to the region.

"Specifically with the fibre-optic line, there are a number of opportunities on the way," he said. "There is already a lot of research happening in the North, and a lot of opportunity for the development of a knowledge economy, a technology economy."

This is the second time the fellows met since their inductions into the program. The 10 fellows will each spend two years working on a variety of projects seeking to improve conditions in the North. The foundation is based in Toronto and is dedicated to investing in research in and about the Arctic. The fellowship was introduced in 2010 to help develop young Northern leaders and educate them in the policy challenges facing their home.

"It's been great to reconnect with the fellows," Peterson said last week. "It's a really dynamic group. It's great that they're actually trying to engage young people from the North to create policies for the North."