GNWT announces its support of the Amended Inuvialuit Energy Security Project Development Plan. 

Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) Chair and CEO Duane Ningaqsiq Smith met with the Premier of the Northwest Territories, Caroline Cochrane, earlier today to discuss several important issues for the IRC, including the construction of the Inuvialuit Energy Security Project (IESP). We are proud to announce that the GNWT’s Commissioner in the Executive Council has provided its requested support to the IESP to commence construction in October 2023. 

This support signifies that the project has successfully navigated much of the regulatory and governmental processes and can now move forward with its construction phase. This is an important milestone for the IESP, and it reflects careful consideration of environmental, social, and economic factors in the project’s development.

The meeting was also used to discuss the Inuvialuit Family Way of Living Law, Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat. Both parties committed to working together to find language in their Coordination Agreement that will ensure Inuvialuit are able to implement this important piece of Inuvialuit Legislation. The Premier expressed the GNWT’s support of the Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat and discussed further ways the GNWT and IRC can work together to improve the social wellbeing of all Inuvialuit.

Premier Cochrane and Chair Smith further discussed options for ensuring school children in Tuktoyaktuk are able to get into their new classrooms as quickly as possible after the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Cochrane closed the meeting by thanking IRC and their subsidiary, Canadian North, for helping during the unprecedented evacuation of Yellowknife.