Arctic Policy Framework Regional Roundtable Session: Thompson, Manitoba, March 15, 2018
This is a summary of the Arctic Policy Framework regional roundtable in Thompson, Manitoba, on March 15, 2018.
On this page
- Participants
- Overarching themes and messages for the Framework
- Comprehensive Arctic Infrastructure
- Strong Arctic Peoples and Communities
- Strong, Sustainable and Diversified Arctic Economies
- Arctic Science and Indigenous Knowledge
- Protecting the environment and conserving Arctic biodiversity
- Arctic in a Global Context
The views raised in the discussion are those of various participants and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.
Participants
Representatives of:
- City of Thompson
- Community Futures Greenstone
- Government of Canada
- Government of Manitoba
- Lazy Bear Expeditions
- Look North Steering Committee
- Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
- Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
- North Central Community Futures
- Sapotaweyak Cree Nation
- Thompson Indigenous Accord
- University College of the North
Overarching themes and messages for the Framework
- Many northern Manitobans, with the possible exception of Churchill residents, do not see themselves as "Arctic" people and consequently do not identify strongly with the proposed Arctic Policy Framework
- Participants felt that a sense that the unique challenges of the North are seldom recognized by decision makers in the South
- "The North is not just a colder version of the South," 1 participant noted
- The importance of concrete deliverables, with measurable indicators and regular check-ins against progress
- Participants expressed a desire to see the Arctic Policy Framework as a "lasting" document that would continue to guide government decision making, even if there are changes of leadership at the political level
- One mark of success, some participants said, would be if the Government of Canada does not find itself repeating this process in 2-3 years
Comprehensive Arctic Infrastructure
- There is insufficient housing in northern Manitoba
- The lack of housing makes it difficult to attract workers and grow the region's economy
- It is important not to overlook the need for social and cultural infrastructure investment, in addition to larger scale infrastructure investments, for example. major transportation projects
- There is a major social infrastructure deficit in the North when compared to the South.
Transportation
- Participants discussed whether governments should focus on the proposal for an all-weather road to Churchill or repair of the Hudson Bay Rail Line
- Both are heavily impacted by the cold temperatures, but some people feel rail is the more stable option in the long term
- An all-weather road to Churchill would negatively impact local wildlife, which would be of particular detriment to the eco-tourism industry, 1 participant felt
- The Hudson Bay Rail Line is a major enabler of the region's tourism industry
- Tourists play a major role in supporting local restaurants, gift shops and eco-tourism businesses
- Churchill now experiences an increased reliance on sealifts due to the damage to the rail line
- The cost of bringing goods in by sealift is substantially more expensive than by rail
- Some participants felt that the quality and network of roads in northern Manitoba is not on par with other western provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan
- The lack of infrastructure leads to high costs to travel for services that are only available outside of region, such as medical, dental, education
- Coordinating infrastructure projects for both industry and communities could be beneficial
- For instance, building roads that connect with communities and mineral sites could both reduce costs of living as well as costs of doing business
Connectivity
- Technological innovation, such as. self-driving cars, solar power, could have major implications for northern infrastructure
- Participants highlighted the importance of broadband, and the positive effects it could have on issues ranging from education to small business participation in the global economy
- Increased levels of bandwidth are needed for advancements in software
- The delivery of online is also subject to increasing costs as software is updated
- It is difficult for northern educational institutions to keep pace
- The delivery of online is also subject to increasing costs as software is updated
Strong Arctic Peoples and Communities
- Concern over the prevalence of sexual/domestic assault in northern and remote communities
- Uncertain economic circumstances and the potential for job loss, with no other opportunities available, leads to stress and uncertainty for northern communities
- Mental health support mechanisms are necessary
- One participant noted that they were pleased to see culture as an element of the framework
- Culture can be a sense of pride and can help people through difficult times
- Increased economic development needs to be supported by 3 interrelated pillars:
- health
- justice
- education
- Northern courts are forced to deal with heavy caseloads
- Winnipeg and Thompson were cited as the province's 2 largest centres of the province's criminal justice system
Education and Child Care
- Inadequate funding for childcare was highlighted as a significant issue
- Northern communities are not able to offer competitive wages when compared to provincial childcare workers
- Access to childcare is an issue across the North
- Infrastructure dedicated to child care is difficult to find
- Access to education in Indigenous communities was highlighted as a significant problem in northern Manitoba and a significant priority for regional Indigenous groups
- In many cases, children are forced to leave their homes to finish their high school education
- More resources are needed to realize the goal of an educated North
- Education in the north is an opportunity that needs to be seized as it is one of the fastest growing regions of the province
Social Programming and Funding Models
- In some cases, funding relationships create interdependent relationships with higher levels of government
- Participants indicated that Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada can often act paternalistically and that layers of bureaucracy can inhibit effective relationships, including access to funding
- Inconsistent and undependable funding models create struggles for some northern First Nations
- Federal allocation of resources does not take into account with the needs of northern communities, including high levels of suicide, sexual assault and other forms of crime
- Devolving responsibilities for of social services needs to be undertaken carefully
- Simply "downloading" responsibilities without providing appropriate resources will not address social policy challenges
Mental Health
- High suicide rates in Indigenous communities were identified as a major priority for the region's Indigenous organizations
- Suicides in small communities can create a tragic "chain-reaction" among youth
- Participants highlighted the mental health crises faced by northern Indigenous communities, including suicide
- Potential solutions include the mobile crisis unit initiative developed by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Incorporated
Reconciliation
- The framework should take into consideration the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Many non-Indigenous people do not know that they need to be part of reconciliation
- It can be difficult for Indigenous communities to make progress when they have to fight to have an opportunity to be at the table with other levels of government
- Attention should be paid to avoiding situations in which third-party financial management is necessary
- It can take years to emerge from third-party management
Strong, Sustainable and Diversified Arctic Economies
- Northern First Nations in particular face barriers to economic development due to infrastructure, remote locations and funding relationships
- First Nations need to have comfort that their way of life and land will be preserved without scaring potential investors
- For too long, northern communities have been overly reliant on particular "anchor organizations," including major mining companies or provincial or federal governments
- This has created a situation in which many communities do not have adequate capacity to support economic development
- Economic diversification will be key for the future
- A variety of licencing and regulatory barriers can prevent economic activities by Indigenous people, such as selling fish, opening a restaurant, traditional medicines
The Northern Labour Market
- If northerners could fill all the jobs currently available in the North, it would have a huge effect on the economy
- Improved access to education would play a big role in making that possible
- Northern people are 1 of the North's greatest assets
- Improved education could lead to a huge opportunity for the northern economy
- More job opportunities can act as the best solution to a lot of social problems facing communities
- Jobs can be a source of purpose for a lot of individuals
- Existing metrics do not always capture the realities of northern communities.
- Participants highlighted particular problems with unemployment statistics and a prevalence of seasonal work in the extractive sector
- Participants discussed the concept of "economic leakage," noting that in many cases wealth generated in the north does not stay in the region, even in larger hubs such as Thompson or Churchill
- In many cases, services are provided by professionals who fly in and out of communities
Local Business
- There is increasing pressure posed by online shopping for local businesses.
- Platforms like Amazon and Etsy dominate the market, participants said
- Thompson could serve as a shipping hub for online retailers
- Thus far, attracting southern companies to the North has not been a successful approach to economic development
- Supporting and growing existing northern businesses could be a better approach
- Look North, the Government of Manitoba's northern development strategy, is exploring the creation of an 'entrepreneur pathway' to help aspiring business owners grow their business and receive information
- Poor broadband infrastructure provides a significant impediment to growing local businesses
- Lack of broadband access is a barrier to marketing and to businesses' ability to reach a critical mass of customers
- Eco-tourism is a potential growth sector, particularly in the Churchill area, participants said
Resource Extraction
- Mining projects often require very large up front investments before any profit is seen
- This entails a big risk for the companies involved
- Mining companies need to be confident that there will be a return on their investment
- Some participants expressed a desire to move beyond Impact Benefit Agreements in terms of Indigenous involvement in major projects
- Participants highlighted examples in which other Indigenous groups became part owners of resource projects
- Changes in political leadership can occasionally derail investment in resource extraction projects
- In many cases, Indigenous peoples are the best stewards of land and many communities are skeptical of companies' ability to implement environmental safeguards
- Resource development can go hand-in-hand with sustainability
- The natural resource development will always play a major role in the economy of northern Manitoba
A Northern view
- Northern hubs such as Churchill, Manitoba often seen themselves as a "gateway to the North" for southern goods and services
- Northerners want to reverse that perspective by developing a northern-centric business view that sees the south as a market for northern goods and services
Partnerships and the role of regional economic development corporations
- Communities need to take proactive steps to advance economic development, including the creation of community economic plans and the hiring of economic development officers
- Seminars and workshop led by Community Futures on how to start a business have had positive results
- Typically, economic development officers, who play a major role in the community, are underpaid and overworked
- Communities have to be ready for economic development and have adequate economic development plans in place
- The 2013 Thompson Economic Diversification Plan was identified as an example
Arctic Science and Indigenous Knowledge
- Acquiring funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council entails too many requirements
- This leads to a situation in which northern educational institutions need to partner with southern organizations
- In many educational partnerships, southern universities are the power holders, while northern institutions are just partners
- Challenges associated with fly-in researchers are less prevalent than in the past.
- Educational institutions have largely been good at integrating the First Nations principle of ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP)
Protecting the environment and conserving Arctic biodiversity
- There needs to be a balance struck between environmental and economic objectives
- The northern economy will always be based to some extent on resource extraction
- Greater attention should be paid to the cleanup and decommission of mining sites
- Creative solutions are needed to deal with issues associated with waste management in the North
- For instance, 1 suggestion was that communities work with trucking companies that transport goods to northern communities
- Rather than have them fuel up and return empty, these vehicles could also help with waste removal
- For instance, 1 suggestion was that communities work with trucking companies that transport goods to northern communities
Arctic in a Global Context
- There is a need to build capacity within northern communities to engage internationally, either with industry or government
- There is an opportunity to take advantage of international connections through Indigenous cultural exports
- One participant noted that while international engagement on Arctic and northern issues is a priority for the Government of Canada, it is important for the federal government to communicate clearly how this benefits northern Manitobans
Arctic sovereignty and Canadian Arctic leadership
- The debate around northern sovereignty and the involvement of foreign governments and investors is largely driven by fear, participants said
- Some participants felt that Canada's focus on its international standing as an Arctic leader is not very relevant to the needs of northern Manitoba communities,
- Participants did recognize that international issues, through the presence of international mining corporations in northern Manitoba, for example, do affect northern Manitobans
Trade
- In some cases, international agreements can pose unintended barriers, such as bans on the import or export of marine mammal products, such as seal skin
- These barriers adversely impact Northerners